KOZHIKODE: To keep a track on the inflow of migrants in all sectors employing labourers in Wayanad district, police directed employers from various sectors including tourism, construction and plantations to pass on information and photographs of all labourers to the nearest police station. Every month, the police station will update the information as the migrants are a highly floating population.
Wayanad district superintendent of police K. Karthikeyan told this newspaper that the move aims at catering to all sections including the employees, employers and as well as the law and order system of the state. When a crime takes place it would be easier for the police to track the migrants and also would save much trouble for the rest of the labourers as well as the employers if the photographs were available.
Mr Karthikeyan said that there are many enquiries from northeastern states about some criminals who escape to Kerala after committing a crime back in the state. It has become a trend in many North Indian states to escape to Kerala after committing a crime as it is easy to live a clandestine life among the migrants, he added. Mr Karthikeyan also said that it will also help police to identify the guy in case he died in some disasters.
“Recently, two migrant labourers killed in the district at a construction site and it was tough for us to identify the person,” he added. However, the tourism industry has welcomed the decision saying that it would save them from many headaches. “We would be able to keep off criminals from our properties”, said K.R. Vancheeswaran, spokesperson of Wayanad tourism organisation. “It is a fact that we have to depend on the migrants from North Indian states to keep the life going on here,” he said, adding that it is our duty to ensure that necessary safety, security mechanisms are in place.
