CHENNAI: Speakers at a public hearing on unorganised sector welfare boards on Saturday, stressed for inclusion of migrant labourers, employed in construction sector around Chennai in the welfare board.
Narasimha Rao, a migrant labourer from Andhra Pradesh working at Egatur in Old Mamallapuram Road (OMR) underscored the ordeals of the community without being members of the welfare board for construction workers. “We are unable show any documents as a proof for our livelihood, if questioned by the police,” he claimed.
Seconding him, Shankar, a teacher in a school run for the children of migrant labours on OMR, said that migrant labourers who didn’t possess documents have come under police scanner, in the wake of recent bank robberies involving North Indian gangsters.
“Many labourers are not even provided with identity cards by contractors. In some cases, their house owners visit police stations to identify them,” he added.
Geetha, secretary of the National Federation for Unorganised Sector Workers said that the Government should provide ration cards for migrant labourers.