Migrant workers in Kozhikode in Kerala. Photo: Ajeeb Komachi Migrant workers in Kozhikode in Kerala. Photo: Ajeeb Komachi

People migrating to Kerala from other states to work as labourers will now be provided accommodation by the state government.

These facilities will be similar to the ones provided to workers in Gulf countries.

The workers will be charged minimal rents for these facilities to improve their living conditions, Labour and Rehabilitation Minister Shibu Baby John told India.Today.in.

Currently, many of the camps in the state where the workers stay lack basic facilities.

"Kerala needs to do something for the welfare of these migrants as they contribute greatly to the state's growth. Our department will soon come up with a new legislation for the upliftment of the living conditions of these labourers," John said.

"At present, the living conditions of most of these labourers is not good. The government used to issue stop memos to contractors who did not maintain mandatory standards in labour camps," he said.

According to a study by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation for the Kerala government, there are over 25 lakh Domestic Migrant Labourers (DML) in the state and their annual arrival rate is 2.35 lakh.

The DMLs sent remittances of over Rs 17,500 crore to their home states.

The study shows over 75 per cent of the DMLs come from West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa.

It is a workforce consisting almost entirely of men aged between 18 and 35 and is highly mobile within Kerala.

At present, migrant labourers are 10 per cent of Kerala's total population.

While friends and relatives are the main channel of migration, they mostly work under contractors and get employment for six to seven days a week.

Sixty per cent of these migrants work in the construction sector and the rest are in hospitality, manufacturing, trade and agriculture.

Their skills range from unskilled to skilled carpenters, masons and electricians.

Over 70 per cent of them earn daily wages of over Rs 300.

While workers from are paid between Rs 650 and Rs 700 a day by contractors, migrants are paid between Rs 500 and Rs 550.

On an average, each migrant remits Rs 70,000 annually through banking channels.

They work long hours, running up to 10 hours a day.

"The housing and living conditions of DMLs are poor. They often live in worksites and factories, in crowded rooms with poor water supply and sanitation. Few rooms have proper kitchens. The poor living conditions have raised fears of spread of disease," said C.S. Venkiteswaran, who was part of the team that studied the plight of the migrant labourers in the state.

The study was held to help the state government initiate projects for the welfare of the labourers.

And these were suggestions provided:

1) Voluntary registration of DMLs based on which all benefits to DMLs will converge. A Common Single Point One-Time Voluntary Registration System led by the Department of Labour but implemented at the local self government level has been proposed. The benefits of all government schemes will be conditional on registration.

2) Provision of affordable housing to DMLs may be done by the state government. Private enterprises with public support can be encouraged to build clean hygienic rooms to be given out on rent.

3) Health coverage through national programmes such as RSBY or special schemes

4) Steps may be taken to make DMLs aware of their rights and obligations by undertaking awareness programmes in their languages (such as Bengali, Hindi, Assamese and Odia.) Awareness may be carried out on TV, radio, long distance trains and railway stations.

Last week, labour and health officials shut down seven labour camps in Ernakulam district for lacking proper sanitation facilities. There are over 134 camps for migrant labourers in Ernakulam district alone.