How to Resolve the Migration Problem in India


The problem of migration in the country became very acute when people started migrating from cities to villages due to  spread of Corona virus. Although the Central Government had arranged special labour trains to migrate people from different cities to their native places, yet many people walked down from cities towards their villages.

Migration from Villages to Cities

India still has an agro based economy hence more than 80% of labourers in India work in the unorganised sector. A large number of people in India move from villages to cities for the purpose of getting employment. Therefore, a good number of people move from one state to another. In the present situation, these workers did not have factual information on the state of affairs of corona virus in the country and also they had no information about special trains being plied by the Central Government for taking them to their native places. As such, labourers in large numbers were scared and they started fleeing to their native places by road sides.

Social Security Network is not Adequate

Nevertheless, it is a fact that there is no adequate social security network available in the country for labourers working in unorganised sector. Doest it mean that the model of development adopted during the last 70 years in the country was not perfect. Under this model of development, industries were established in the areas, where raw materials are available or demand for manufactured goods is high. The concept of “Gram Swaraj” and “Local Self Reliance” in the country was not implemented properly. Due to which the migration of workers from rural areas to cities could not stop, but with an increase in population, the level of migration also increased. In the backdrop of globalisation, liberalisation and industrialisation, the way the policy of industrialisation was implemented in India, it reduced the importance of labour in industrial sector. While promoting industrialisation in the country, Indian principles were completely ignored.

Migration of labourers between States

Due to the reasons mentioned above, the pressure of migration is being felt much more today in those states where the size of population is large and where the industrialisation has not taken place, such as, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, etc. Industrialisation took place at those places where generally raw material was available or where the market for the product was available. Due to these reasons, a large number of industries have flourished in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, etc. However, the principle of demand and supply also works in the sysem. Due to the large number of industrial units in Maharashtra and Gujarat, the demand for labour is very high in these states whereas the availability of labor is less in these states. The level of education in these states is very high and people go abroad after completing their studies or get blue-collared jobs. Therefore, there is a shortage of labor force in these states. These industrialised stated get labour force from those states where education levels are very low and even educated people in these states do not get blue collared jobs, hence the people of these states mostly depend on agriculture sector for their livelihood. Also, people who are enthusiastic in nature and are residing at villages of these states and want to achieve something special in their life also migrate to the cities of industrialised states because industries have been set up in a very less number in their home states.

New Business Models Needed

After the Corona virus epidemic, when the economic activities will start again in the country, the Central and State Governments now have an opportunity to create an indigenous model of comprehensive development at the state level, following the Indian principles. We have to develop those type of industries in underdeveloped states, where maximum employment avenues can be created at the local level itself. Such type of plans will have to be developed state-wise. While developing such schemes, special attention should be paid towards providing social security to the labourers working in the unorganised sector to prevent migration of workers from rural areas to the cities.



Resolving woes of Migrating Labourers

Labourers in unorganised sector already working in industries established in rural and/or urban areas have to be provided with social security benefits so that the migration from cities towards villages is prevented. These workers, in particular, are not provided with housing facilities in cities and the amount of their monthly salary is  also not fixed. The rules relating to minimum wages are not being followed properly. Here, a suggestion can be given that labourers from villages should be given employment in factories for six months only during a year, so that they alone migrate to the city and keep the family at their native place. After completion of six months period, these labourers can go back to the village so that they can take care of their family. Now for the next six months, other workers should be given employment in the city. This way, labourers will not be requiring to bring their whole family from their village to the city and the pressure of population on the city will also reduce. And, in the process, employment opportunities will be provided to more number of  families. Since the labourer will come to the city to work alone, arrangements for his stay and food items can be done in hostels in the city. As such, many more new hostels should be constructed very near to the industrial units in the country. This will also improve the productivity and efficiency levels of labourers. Separate hostels should be developed for women labourers alike in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, etc. Now the time is ripe that we all think about the welfare of labourers in the country and their various  problem in cities/place of work have to be resolved otherwise it will be very difficult to bring the economy back to the normalcy in our country.

Cess Fund

Earlier an attempt was made in this context and a special Act for construction labourers was passed. As per this Act, a cess fund was created and around two years ago, State Governments had informed the Supreme Court of India that an amount of more than Rs.25000 crore was deposited in this cess fund. If this amount is used to construct hostels for labourers, then migration of workers from cities to villages can stop.


Special Insurance Scheme

Special insurance scheme for extending social benefits can also be introduced for labourers working in unorganised sector. Under the scheme, the insurance company should reimburse all the expenses of food, etc. to the workers during the period of disasters. This can also prevent the migration of labourers from cities. As of now, no State Government has paid any attention on the working conditions of labourers in unorganised sector in their respective states. In fact there is no safety cover available for labourers working in the unorganised sector in the country.

However, in the wake of Corona virus epidemic in India, especially with the aim of providing relief to the poor, Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman announced on March 26 an economic package of Rs 1.70 lakh crore under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Under this scheme, it was decided to provide an amount of one thousand rupees per month for a period of three months as assistance to the elderly, poor widows and poor persons with disabilities. It was also decided to deposit 500 rupees every month for the next three months in the accounts of twenty crore women Jan Dhan account holders. Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the first instalment amount of 2 thousand rupees was transferred to the accounts of 8.7 crore farmers beneficiaries in the first week of April 2020 itself. Also, it was announced to provide 5 kg of wheat or rice and one kg of pulses free of cost to the 800 million poor citizens for the next three months. Similarly, under the Ujjwala scheme, it was announced to provide gas cylinders free of cost to the beneficiary women for the next three months. The wages being paid under the MNREGA were also increased from Rs.182  per day to Rs.202 per day, so that the labourers do not have to face financial trouble. However, such measures of  provide assistance to the labourers working in the unorganised sector will reduce the pains of labourers in the short term but to resolve their problems during a long period, there is an urgent need to formulate overall strategies today on a war footing level.