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Less than 10% of migrant workers in shelter homes want to return home: Govt official
The report, however, does not include the final application status of around 10,000 more migrant workers who have taken shelter in centres operated by the revenue district administrations across the city.
Less than 10% of migrant workers—around 680 of around 7,100—who have taken shelter in the 240-odd centres operated by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), want to head back to their home states at the earliest, a senior government official said Tuesday, citing a report submitted by the Board to the chief secretary’s office.
The report, however, does not include the final application status of around 10,000 more migrant workers who have taken shelter in centres operated by the revenue district administrations across the city, which range from school buildings and community halls to sports complexes. A separate report on that is awaited later this week, the senior government official said.
The official further said that the data also does not include results of an online application process that has been launched focussing on stranded individuals (migrant workers, students, pilgrims and tourists) who have not taken shelter in any of the DUSIB or district adminstration-run centres and are still believed to be scattered across the city. Their numbers are unknown, at least on paper.
In all the centres where migrants have taken shelter, both under the jurisdiction of the DUSIB and the district administration, application forms were distributed between April 30 and May 2, following the central government’s directions to allow states to arrange for interstate movement of stranded migrant workers, students, pilgrims and tourists through buses and trains.
On Tuesday, HT spoke to 10 of the applicants from the DUSIB list. Six of them said that they were in Delhi temporarily for construction work and their job was done but they could not return home because of the lockdown. The remaining four said that they had no permanent job in the city and wanted to head back home because they were unsure of their source of livelihood in the days to come.
The forms will be further scrutinised by the government. On Sunday, the Union home ministry told the states that the transport scheme was not meant for workers who intend to visit home, but for those in distress because they had been caught unawares by the lockdown, emphasising the word “stranded” mentioned in the directives issued on April 29.
“The facility is for those who had come to work temporarily and had to return to their home states immediately after, but could not do so because of the lockdown… It is not for those who have been (already) staying in the state and working for six months or one year,” deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said.
At least in the DUSIB centres, the majority of migrant workers have started to have second thoughts now, especially after job opportunities opened up a bit this week. The scaling down of the lockdown measures has paved the way for some business and commercial activities to resume in the Capital despite all its 11 revenue districts categorised as red zones
“A phased revival of the industrial and construction sectors matters the most,” Animesh Das, labour activist and member of Delhi government’s minimum wages board, said.
Das further said: “A large number of workers is scared of what would happen if they went back home and could not return to the city for a long time. There are no jobs in the towns and villages either. Also, if they returned later, what is the guarantee that there would be jobs for them in the city? There is extreme confusion that is adding to their anxieties.”
Bipin Rai, a member of the DUSIB, said: “We will ensure all necessary checks for applicants who want to leave for their home states. For those who stay back, we will continue to ensure food and shelter.”
“The highest number of applicants (from the DUSIB centres) are from Uttar Pradesh (around 40%), followed by Bihar (around 35%). Applicants from other states include West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand,” Rai said.
Sisodia further emphasised on “confidence-building measures” taken by the government.
The Delhi government on Sunday issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the movement of stranded migrant workers, tourists, pilgrims and students in adherence to the central government’s orders. The SOP directed government officials and the police to join hands to compile a database of the numbers of those stranded, so they could be sent back to their home states, and “encourage” them to download the Aarogya Setu mobile application.
