Industry associations warn of rising stress in MSMEs and potential migrant labour exodus due to issues linked to the West Asia conflict.
Migrant labourers in India
- Total number of Inter-State migrant workers: 4.14 Crore (Census 2011)
- Migration rate: 28.9%, with 26.5% from rural areas (2020-21 Migration report)
Problems Faced by Migrant Labourers
- Informalisation: About 90% of workers are informal leading to low wages, irregular payments, etc. during crises like COVID-19 pandemic.
- Lack of Affordable Housing: Migrants as the largest group requiring housing in cities (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs).
- Risk of Exclusion from Welfare: E.g., Public Distribution System excludes individuals without Aadhaar linkage.
- Others: Limited access to Health and Education, Discrimination, lack of political representation etc.
Way Forward
- Immediate Food Support for Migrants: E.g., Community kitchens and temporary canteens in MSME clusters.
- Direct Benefit Transfer based subsidy delivery: Enables better targeting to protect vulnerable groups.
- Establish an inter-ministerial coordination system: With industry participation for real-time monitoring and faster policy response.
- Credit & Interest Relief: To ease financial stress on enterprises employing migrant labour.
Government Initiatives
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