Steps to end migrants’ health woes

The District panchayat will take steps to integrate measures taken by various local bodies and departments to solve health problems being faced by migrant workers in the district.

District panchayat president Eldhose Kunnappilly said that strict action will be taken against contractors who do not provide  proper shelter to the labourers. He was talking at a review meeting of the Migrant Security programme jointly organised by the District Panchayat and the Rajagiri Outreach.

“Though there are one lakh migrant workers employed in various sectors in the district, details of only 25,000 labourers are available with the Labour Department. There is not a single panchayat in the district where migrant labourers are not present. This fact itself shows the inaccuracy of the statistics. Hence, steps should be taken at the panchayat level itself for maintaining proper data about migrant workers. It is a matter of grave concern that diseases, including HIV, have been reported among the migrant workers,” he said.