Aimed at bringing the large number of migrant workers in Kochi under their net, the city police have embarked on a massive drive to conduct an audit of the migrant labourers living within city limits.
Officials said the drive, which began last week, envisaged the collection of biometric details of migrant workers and the issuing of identity cards. “The entire process is expected to be complete within a month. We have already completed registration of migrant workers in three stations,” said Babu Kumar K.G., Assistant Commissioner, Special Branch.
Besides names and addresses, the details being gathered include thumb impressions, photos, contact numbers, authorised identity cards and contact details of their employers.
The contact details of their relatives and of police stations in their hometowns are also being collected.
Ernakulam, which has the highest number of inter-State migrant workers in Kerala, tops the list of crimes committed by migrants.
Criminal cases
As per official records, areas within the Kochi city limits, home to several infrastructure projects that have employed a large number of migrant workers, have reported 331 cases against them between May 2011 and May 2016. An analysis of the data also showed that the criminal cases against migrant workers increased from 34 in 2013 to 61 the next year and touched 109 in 2015. About 21 cases were registered against migrants in Kochi during the first five months of 2016.
The Ernakulam rural district reported 463 cases in this connection during the same period. Of this, 142 cases were recorded in the past year alone while the number of cases recorded till May this year was 49. In terms of number of cases, Ernakulam is followed by Malappuram with 322 cases and Kozhikode with 177 cases.
Officials pointed out that the number of organised crimes involving migrant workers were lesser as most violent crimes were committed on the spur of the moment. They called for a holistic approach to check the trend.
While rough estimates put the number of migrants in Kerala close to 30 lakh, the State police have so far been able to register only 1.56 lakh of them.
UNDER WATCH
Biometric details of migrants to be collected, ID cards to be issued
331 cases registered against migrants between May 2011 and May 2016
Organised crimes
involving migrant workers lesser, says officials
