Muhammad Abdul Haleem, a native of Nagoan in Assam and one among the hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers at Perumbavoor, has not met his family back home for around four years now.
Given the dire financial predicament he is in, Haleem is unlikely to go back any time soon. The 35-year-old, who is a labour contractor at plywood manufacturing units, owes nearly ₹4.85 lakh to his fellow workers.
Incidentally, most of them are from his native village, a factor that stops him from reuniting with family.
Haleem was among the 1,300-odd inter-State migrants who converged at the Government Girls’ High School at Perumbavoor at the mass contact programme organised by the district administration on Sunday. Interacting with District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla, he sought the authorities’ help to negotiate with the plywood factory owners to have his dues cleared at the earliest. The case has now been referred to the special cell under the Muvattupuzha Revenue Divisional Officer.
The event, opened by State Police Chief Loknath Behera, was organised in the wake of the recent scare campaign against migrants.
“I am also a migrant like you and together we are contributing to the development of this State,” Mr. Behera said, in plain-speaking Hindi, amid loud rounds of applause by attendees. Promising all support from the police as well as the district administration, Mr. Behra also sought to assuage their anxieties.
Describing Kerala as a migrant-friendly State, the Collector highlighted a host of welfare programmes initiated by the government for migrant workers.
32 counters
As many as 32 counters were opened to receive complaints and for submitting applications for Aadhaar cards and bank accounts. A free medical camp was also organised. There were awareness sessions on personal hygiene, health care, and general cleanliness.
According to the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), the number of migrants settled at Perumbavoor is around 1.5 lakh, of whom nearly 72,000 are employed with plywood factory units.
“More than one-third of their wages are pumped into the local economy, which comes around ₹64 crore a month,” said CMID executive director Binoy Peter.
