THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is planning to introduce a comprehensive programme for the registration of migrant workers, a long-pending issue which has attained significance with the arrest of a migrant worker in the Jisha murder case. The labour department is finalising the new registration scheme which would offer attractive welfare measures to the migrants so as to make them join the scheme voluntarily.
“We are in the final stages of launching the scheme,” Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan told DC. Though the government had earlier initiated enrolment of migrants through the Construction Worker’s Welfare Fund Board, only around 55,000 had enrolled, though there are about 25 lakh migrants in the state.
“At present, the registration of migrants is quite scattered. While many took registration in the construction workers' welfare board, many had enrolled in trade unions. But we require a separate register of migrants alone. Hence, a new scheme was being worked out,” said the minister.
Meanwhile, sources said that a mandatory registration for migrants was not possible as it could amount to hampering the right to free movement of a citizen in the country under the Constitution. The triple murder of a couple and their son
in Kottayam and the killing of a toddy shop worker in Alappuzha and stuffing his body in the refrigerator were among the recent instances of crimes by migrant workers.
