The first venture under the Apna Ghar project of the Kerala Government to provide safe, hygienic and affordable rental accommodation for migrant workers is ready for inauguration at Kanjikode, near here.
The project, costing ₹10 crore and piloted by the Labour Department in association with the public sector non-profit company Bhavanam Foundation, will be open to migrant workers associated with the Kanjikode-Pudussery industrial belt. Workers who have job identity cards and Aadhaar card can apply for accommodation at the facility.
Spread over 44,000 sq ft inside the Kinfra industrial park, the complex can accommodate 640 workers at a time.
Two blocks
The four-storeyed complex with two blocks was constructed by the Thrissur-based engineering collective Costford. It has 64 rooms. Each room can accommodate 10 workers with bunker bed facilities.
There are 32 kitchens in the complex. It has 96 toilets and eight dining rooms. There will be round-the-clock security services and a dedicated team to ensure hygiene. The government mooted the rental accommodation facility in view of the poor living conditions of migrant workers in the State, especially from Bihar and West Bengal.
There is no canteen facility as the workers hail from different cultural backgrounds and have different food culture. The rent per person has not yet been fixed but it would be between ₹750 and ₹1,000 a month.
According to department officials, similar hostel complexes would soon be constructed in Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) has been instructed to provide land required for the three projects.
To cover all districts
The aim of the government is to start the units in each district in a phased manner. The government has earmarked ₹100 crore for the project.
Labour Commissioner K. Biju said the second venture would be set up soon at Ramanattukara, near Kozhikode.
Kinfra has already handed over one acre and the construction work will begin by the end of the month. As per government figures, the State has a migrant population of 2.5 million.
