Migrant workers' crisis: 'Need for Central registry, templates for coordination'

He informed that a large number of adolescent girls are migrating for work to destination states and there is a need to define age bracket for migrants in order to protect adolescents from exploitation. Director of Migration and Education, Aide et Action South Asia, Bhubaneshwar, Umi Daniel highlighted the lack of segregated data on migrant workers at the state and national level.

The exodus of migrant workers across the country, triggered by COVID-19 induced lockdown, has brought into focus the need for a central registry and templates for coordination among states and the Centre. Also required are measures to protect adolescent girls and pregnant women from exploitation.

At a recent webinar on "Stakeholder Consultation on Inter-State Migration Policy", various speakers called for effective communication between source and destination states to ensure timely and safe movement of migrants. As part of an effort to mitigate the problems of migrant workers, states should enter into Memorandum of Understanding with each other to facilitate migration, said Ravi Srivastava, Director Center for Employment Studies, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi.

As per Seventh Schedule of Indian Constitution (Article 246), under entry 81 of the Union List, inter-State migration and inter-State quarantine are subjects to be governed by the Union Government. "There is a need for advocacy with central government to play an instrumental role in implementing this policy without Centre's coordination, we will not be able to set up a central registry nor be able to have effective templates for coordination," he said.

The informal economy contributed to 52.4 percent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) in India in 2017-18. However, informal migrant workers were one of the hardest hit groups in the biggest reverse migration India has seen in recent times. Most of them were not paid their wages during the lockdown.

They had no access to ration shops or social welfare schemes because food was being given only to those having ration cards of the destination states. Many did not have bank accounts and also faced discrimination from locals because they spoke a different language.

Executive Director of Centre for Social Education and Development (CSED), Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, C Nambi sought amendments to ISMW (Inter State Migrant Workmen) Act to ensure onus on employers instead of just making the contractor liable for violating provisions of the law. He informed that a large number of adolescent girls are migrating for work to destination states and there is a need to define age bracket for migrants in order to protect adolescents from exploitation.

Director of Migration and Education, Aide et Action South Asia, Bhubaneshwar, Umi Daniel highlighted the lack of segregated data on migrant workers at the state and national level. Secretary of Labour department, Government of Chhattisgarh, Sonmani Bora said the state had a mechanism in place to reach out to migrant workers, during the lockdown.

In the first phase, 1.3 lakh workers outside the state contacted the government through different sources asking for support. In the second phase lockdown, both mechanisms - helpline and online portal - were ready. "Through these two mediums, 2.75 migrant lakh workers registered for return journey.

Today, the number has gone up to over 6 lakh workers in distress," he said and added these included workers who left the state long ago, but have now returned due to lack of jobs and fear psychosis surrounding COVID-19. On the way forward for state governments on migration related policies, Rajesh Tandon, founder president, PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia), New Delhi, said data collection and registration should begin at the local body level, to serve as a common platform, for linkage with all departments of the state government.