Labourers in Jharkhand Need to Give Details to Govt Before Going to Work Outside State: Hemant Soren

The Jharkhand government has decided that a labourer going outside the state for work will have to provide personal and job details to the administration so that it could reach out to the person in any eventuality, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Thursday.

The move comes after the government underwent a tedious process of registering stranded migrant workers to facilitate their return to Jharkhand from far-off places such as Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"Labourers generally go outside with the help of their acquaintances and the state government did not have any idea about their whereabouts. So, we have decided that if a labourer goes to other states to work, they should have the consent of the state government so that arrangements can be made for their safety when required," Soren said.

More than seven lakh people of Jharkhand work in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Nagaland.

Of these, nearly five lakh have returned by Shramik Special trains, buses and flights, official sources said.

"The migrant labourers include women and there were reports that crimes were committed against them. The state government would like to make efforts for their safety as well. We can make safer arrangements for them," the chief minister told reporters.

There are some far-off places in the country where it is not possible for common people to reach but workers go to such areas, he said.

"Restrictions and strict laws exist to work in border areas. When labourers go to such places, the state government should have their details so that assistance could reach them in any eventuality," Soren said.

On whether all stranded migrants have reached Jharkhand, the chief minister said many were yet to come.