Chennai, Aug 14 (IANS): Even as the Tamil Nadu government under Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has voiced stiff opposition to imposing Hindi n the state, the labour department is reaching out to the migrant workers in their native language, be it Hindi, Odiya , Bhojpuri or Bengali.

Tamil Nadu has a huge interstate migrant population working in various sectors including construction, textiles. Official figures estimate that there are around 67 lakh migrant workers. Till June 15, 2023 around 10.5 lakh migrant workers in Tamil Nadu had registered under the e-shram portal of the Central government. The labour department has printed leaflets in Hindi, Odiya languages and circulated them amongst the migrant workers. The helpline numbers of the police and welfare departments are printed on the leaflets which contain details about the benefits that the migrant workers can avail by registering in welfare boards and also the means to avail benefits under various state government schemes.

There are several government schemes for unorganized workers including migrant workers. The handbills and leaflets have also been translated in Bhojpuri for workers from eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar and Jharkhand. The labour department officials are also interacting with the migrant workers to give them confidence and to inform them of the rights they have in Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu government is planning to select an agency to conduct surveys that will focus on individual migrants as also migrant labourers with families. The survey will also include families who have children with them and those who have left their children in their villages. The details include the nature of accommodation of the migrant labourers, health facilities, food security and living standards of the migrant workers. Sources in the labour department told IANS that this is for making policy decisions on the welfare and safety of the migrant workers.