Demand for housing facilities for migrant workers is high in Coimbatore, say officials and industry representatives.
The State government is constructing housing for workers at SIDCO Industrial Estate and the industries will take these on rent for their workers.
P. Nallathambi, president of Coimbatore SIDCO Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Welfare Association, said the facility can accommodate 500 workers. Each house is 570 sq.ft.
“We have asked for kitchen in each house as the north Indian workers will prefer it. Each house will be occupied by seven to eight workers. The units will pay ₹1000 to ₹1500 as rent to SIDCO for each worker for 30 years,” he said. In SIDCO area, there must be about 4,000 workers.
Official sources added that the facility is developed in Ambattur and Coimbatore as pilot projects. If the response is good, it will be replicated. Based on a demand assessment study, it was decided to construct the pilot project at Kurichi, the official said. The demand for such facilities is high from different manufacturing sectors, the officials added.
The State government had constructed 57 rooms through SIPCOT near the Netaji Apparel Park in Tiruppur in 2018 and has completed another 47 rooms at Neriperichal in the district.
Industry sources said that some of the units at the park have taken the rooms on rent for their workers. About 10 workers are accommodated in each room. The demand is very high in Tiruppur too for such housing facilities for workers , even in the city, the sources said.
According to V. Thirugnanam, president of Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, having housing facilities near industrial estates or industrial clusters will benefit the workers and industries. “With the government giving subsidies, it is a good project and there are requirements,” he said. The association will also study the requirement and discuss with its stakeholders for such facilities at its parks, he added.
