CM rolls out safe migration drive for workers on move

Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday formally launched a flagship campaign titled Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI) which is primarily aimed at preparing a holistic roadmap for scores of migrant labourers to ensure their overall safety and well-being when they move out of state for jobs and livelihoods.
Soren also announced that his government has decided to set up a dedicated corpus fund for migrant labourers for helping out bereaved families of migrant labourers in case of their death outside the state.The first of its kind campaign was ideated to prevent rerun of the migrant crisis which was witnessed during the national lockdown since Covid-19 outbreak in the country in March last year, he said.
Addressing during the formal launch of SRMI at Project Building, he said, “The lockdown brought fore the dark realities of unsafe migration. For the state government, it was a new revelation to learn that such a massive number of labourers migrate to other places from here for work. The migrant crisis also taught us the importance of ensuring safe migration so that in case of any mishap, the government and other stakeholders must be in a position to extend help. Learning from those experiences, we have decided to instill behaviourial changes and create proper set-ups for smooth and safe migration.”
Soren also recounted the hosts of measures undertaken by his government since last lockdown exclusively for the migrant labourers.
The pilot project will be initially rolled out in three districts namely Dumka, Gumla and West Singbhum, said state labour department secretary Prawin Kumar Toppo. “Under SRMI, we intend to initially work with authorities in Ladakh and Kerala through different interventions,” he said, adding that the three chosen districts has more number of migrants on the move.
State labour department minister Satyanand Bhokta, chief secretary Sukhdev Singh among others were present. SRMI will be implemented by the state labour department and will be supported by a conglomeration of different agencies namely — the Policy and Development Advisory Group, Partnering Hope Into Action Foundation, the Center for Migration and Inclusive Development and the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business. As per the policy document of SRMI, it will be a 18-month project. It will involve working towards increasing social security and welfare coverage for migrant workers and their families, enable registration of migrant workers for better database, monitoring and analysis of their situation, and creating awareness amongst migrants on safe and responsible practices.
Johnson Topno, regional head for PHIA foundation, said, “The pandemic and lockdown has had a huge impact on migrant workers and their well-being. It requires a systemic response in order to make their life and work safer wherever they move. SRMI is an initiative of the government and consortium partners to have better coordination and management of migrant workers’ mobility and well-being.”