Representative image
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B

As part of the crime-prevention recommendations made to the State government, the Tamil Nadu Fifth Police Commission has called for making biometric registration mandatory for migrant workers.

The Commission, headed by former Judge of the Madras High Court C.T. Selvam and top bureaucrats, both serving and retired, gave its final report to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. According to the report, biometric registration of all migrant labourers should be made compulsory. The contractors who brought migrant labourers should also be registered under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979.

The recommendations will cover tens of thousands of migrant labourers who are engaged in construction, textile, hospitality and other industries across Tamil Nadu. The commission said that every company, contract agency and houseowner, who employed migrant labourers, should actively maintain labour profiles and convey the same to the local Police Station and the Labour Departments for compiling the data. An appropriate software for the whole State may be developed.

Action against non-compliance

Calling for action against unregistered companies sourcing migrant labour, the panel said industries that employed migrant workers may be required to furnish a booklet containing contact numbers and office addresses of the officials whom labour may contact to address their grievances.

The commission suggested that health insurance cover be made compulsory for migrant workers and norms and standards for their stay, wages, compensation, maintenance of health, etc. worked out by the Labour Department. 

“A separate Welfare Officer for guest workers in each industrial area may be appointed. Nodal Officers may be nominated for different States to handle State-specific issues. These Nodal Officers should be in touch with the respective States with regard to movement, welfare and grievances of guest workers from the State.”

Handling rumours 

When there was a misinformation campaign, there was no effective legal provision to handle such a situation especially after Section 66A of the Information Technology Act was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in 2015. “Therefore, there is a necessity to put in place an effective law to handle misinformation campaigns against migrant labourers, as this may assume alarming proportions in the days to come,” the commission said.