'Contractors Will Be Pulled Up Too': Karnataka Talks Tough On Migrant Workers Involved In Crimes
Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad advocated for a law to regulate the arrival of labourers from other states into Karnataka.
Sending out a strong message of zero tolerance, Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad has said strict action would be taken not only against migrant workers brought in by contractors and unions if they are found involved in any criminal activity, but also against those who employed them. “Not just the accused, but the contractor will also be pulled up," Lad told News18.
Lad advocated for a law to regulate the arrival of labourers from other states into Karnataka. He said there cannot be specialised frisking or checking as they are from the unorganised sector.
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“There is a need to create awareness and a sense of responsibility among those who bring in migrant labourers and those who come from other states to work in Karnataka," he told News18.
His statement comes in the wake of the alleged kidnapping and murder of a five-year-old girl in Hubballi by Ritesh Kumar, a native of Bihar’s Patna, who was later killed in police firing – an incident that shocked the state.
“People come from all across India — from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala. How do we regulate the movement of inter-state labourers? This needs discussion so that a robust system is put in place. There is a need for a law," said Lad.
In a meeting that the minister held with labour industry representatives, Lad not only pulled up contractors for being lax and dismal in such vetting processes, but also asked them to obtain information about contract workers they have hired from other states on a regular basis.
“As of today, we are issuing 8,500 contract licences. We held a meeting with them and cautioned them to take a serious look at the background of those they bring in. Those who come and go — there must be some information about them as a precaution. There is a need to create awareness," he said.
“The biggest challenge, as it is the unorganised sector, is that it’s possible to keep a tab on the organised sectors. But how does one screen labourers who largely travel by bus or train into the state? They come to work in construction, agricultural lands, or other sectors," Lad told News18.
The meeting by the Labour Minister comes in the background of Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara saying that he would talk to Lad about how “migrant workers are found to be indulging in crimes and there is a need to regulate who enters the state." Parameshwara also agreed with Lad’s point that the workforce coming to Karnataka from other states cannot be stopped, but there was a definite need to take necessary steps when found to be involved in criminal activities.
Sources say that a special task force is also to be set up to keep a close watch and vet the details of the labourers brought in by the contractors.
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