Support for migrant workers: Jharkhand launches help centres for migrant workers; Aims to provide assistance in times of distress and exploitation

Ranchi: The state labour department will set up help centres for migrant workers from the state in five major cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad — to provide assistance to labourers working in the unorganised sector.

The centres, to be called Rajya Pravasi Sahayata Kendras (state migrant assistance centres), will function as nodal offices for the respective cities and neighbouring states where a large number of workers from Jharkhand migrate for employment.

Officials said the initiative aims to support workers who often face difficulties while working outside the state, particularly those employed in informal sectors such as construction, domestic work and small manufacturing units.

Pradeep Robert Lakra, additional labour commissioner, said the centres will provide immediate assistance to labourers who find themselves in distress while working in other states.

“The centre will provide assistance to people from Jharkhand who are stuck in other cities for any reason, or are exploited, not being paid, or ill-treated,” he said.

He added that many migrant workers struggle to seek help when they face wage disputes, workplace abuse or other forms of exploitation due to lack of local support systems. The proposed centres will coordinate with local govt authorities and labour departments in the respective states to resolve such issues and provide relief.

The centres will also assist families in case of emergencies. “If a labourer dies while working elsewhere, the centre will help get the body back to the family at the govt’s expense,” Lakra said.

According to officials, the labour department regularly receives distress calls from migrant workers across the country. “We get a minimum of two calls from labourers every day and between 45 and 50 every month from those who are in some kind of crisis. These centres will help provide immediate assistance to such people,” Lakra said.