Chennai: Tamil Nadu, a hub of migrant labourers, mostly hailing from the Northeast, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar, is soon likely to be the state most conducive to their welfare.
For the first time, the state labour department will soon have a database on migrant labourers and has planned to establish creches and small primary health centres for the benefit of the labourers and their families. Most of these facilities will come up near construction sites and industrial belts, a top source said.
The announcements were made three months ago in the state assembly and the preliminary studies required for the survey and establishment of creches and new medical facilities, are progressing as per schedule.
Under the new policies, plantations hiring 1,000 or more workers should have a garden hospital and their own dispensaries to attend to the medical needs of the workers, the official added.
“In the past, several promises were made for the welfare of the tea estate workers in Valparai, particularly those in the Cinchona estate areas, but policies and announcements do not reach the workers,” rued K. Hamsa, a plantation worker and tourist guide in Valparai.
“We welcomed the announcements by the labour minister, but the schemes are progressing at snail’s pace. The welfare schemes announced for migrant workers should be completed at the earliest,” according to CPI(M) MLA Bhimrao.
