Why Kerala is a home to 'outsiders' | India News

While migrant labourers are being forced to leave cities in north India in droves in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Kerala government has been taking proactive steps to ensure the welfare of guest workers in the state, right from undertaking health screening, delivering food or food items and setting up help desks to allay their concerns. To better appreciate this, TOI is looking at the bigger picture. We break down the numbers and the measures undertaken by state authorities to help them feel welcome and at home.Keeping CountAs per a study conducted by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (Gift), there were around 25 lakh interstate migrant labourers in Kerala in 2013. According to experts, their number must now be anywhere near 32 lakh. The government is yet to conduct fresh studies.Making their presenceMost of the guest workers are deployed in construction, hospitality, plantation, iron & steel, wooden furniture, marine fishing, mining & quarrying, plywood, textile & apparel, seafood and footwear sectors in state. medium74977946High concentration of migrant workers are located in Valapattanam in Kannur, Vellimadukunnu in Kozhikode, Kanjikode and Pattambi in Palakkad, Perumbavoor, Vathuruthy and Ambalamugal in Ernakulam, Aroor in Alappuzha, Paippad in Kottayam and Kazhakkoottam in Thiruvananthapuram.medium74983568The attitude of the state government towards these labourers has changed over the years. At first the government addressed them as migrant labourers and later as interstate migrant labourers. Now, it has christened them “guest workers".Taking the initiativeKerala became the first state to announce the Interstate Migrants Welfare Scheme in 2010. The construction workers welfare board was entrusted with the registration. So far, around 4 lakh labourers have registered for the scheme. medium74977926HealthUnder the ‘Awas’ scheme, each worker can avail free treatment of up to Rs 25,000 from govt empanelled hospitals. If a labourer dies, his or her family will be given a solatium of Rs 2 lakh. medium74977918EducationGuest workers who are in Kerala are given free education in the state. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the state has appointed volunteers in schools in areas where guest workers live in large numbers to tackle the language barrier. There are certain places where the State Literacy Mission conducts programmes to ensure workers are able to write and read Hindi and Malayalam. medium74977901HousingThe Kerala government has started an ‘Apna Khar’ project, which aims at providing these workers with proper accommodation. The first complex which is part of the project has been inaugrated in Palakkad. Other structures are set to come up in Perumbavoor, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. medium74977910There have been instances when migrant workers have hit the streets. On March 29, hundreds of migrant workers protested in Paippad near Changanassery in Kerala's Kottayam district. They were demanding food, drinking water and vehicles to return to their native places. The government later said the agitators had called off their stir after being assured of help.