More than 21.5L migrant workers register under Karmasathi scheme

Kolkata: Over 21.5 lakh migrant workers registered in the Karmasathi scheme over nine months since the registration began from September 1, 2023 during the 7th edition of the Duare Sarkar programme.

The scheme is aimed at resolving their problems during their course of employment outside Bengal and reaching out to them with various assistance from time to time.

Labour department sources said the highest number of migrant workers registered in Karmasathi, which is over 8.10 lakh, are construction workers followed by 3.23 lakh masons and 1.51 lakh from the jewellery sector.

Murshidabad tops the list of migrant workers with over 3.51 lakh while Malda trails it with over 2.68 lakh registrations.

Maharashtra is the most preferred destination for workers from Bengal. Over 3.63 lakh workers are engaged in different vocations in Maharashtra. Kerala is second in this list with 3.61 lakh workers seeking employment while Tamil Nadu, the third in this category, has over 2.17 lakh migrant workers. “Bengal is known for its skilled workers and so labourers from the state are spread across different states of the country,” said a Labour department official.

The registration of migrant workers that commenced from the 7th edition of Duare Sarkar continued in the 8th edition too that was held in December. The Bangla Sahayata Kendras (BSKs) were also responsible for registering migrant workers.

The notification regarding migrant workers’ registration was made on May 16, 2023 but the process got momentum after the train accident at Bahanaga in Balasore district of Odisha on June 2, 2023 in which 296 people were killed and 1200 were injured .

The registered workers are entitled to benefits that include financial support worth Rs 2,00,00 to families in case of the accidental death of a migrant worker, Rs 50,000 in case of normal death of a migrant worker, Rs 25,000 to transport the body of a migrant worker from his workplace and Rs 3,000 for last rites. In case of accidental disability, a migrant worker will get Rs 1,00,000 if the disability is 80 per cent or more and Rs 50,000 for minor disabilities. The state government has constituted the West Bengal Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board that arranges for skill mapping, identification of training needs and conduction of skill development training for the migrant workers by designated agencies.