Migrant Workers Report New Modified

PROJECT REPORT
A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON MIGRANTS WORKERS

IN KARNATAKA
Project Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award
of the Degree of III Sem
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
From
BENGALURU CITY UNIVERSITY
SUBMITTED BY:
RAKSHITHA T
(REG No: MB191321)
Under the guidance of

DR. MAHESH KUMAR K R
DIRECTOR
COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

(2ND Block, Jayanagar, Near Ashoka pillar, Bengaluru – 560011)
A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON MIGRANTS WORKERS IN KARNATAKA

2

3
GUIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Project Report titled “A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN
ON MIGRANTS WORKERS IN KARNATAKA” Submitted by RAKSHITHA T,
bearing registration number MB191321 to Bengaluru City University, Bangalore for the
award of Degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION is a record of work
carried out by him/her under my guidance.
Place: BANGALORE
Date:
Signature

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DECLARATION BY THE STUDENT
I hereby declare that “A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON MIGRANTS

WORKERS IN KARNATAKA” is the result of the project work carried out by me under
the guidance of DR. MAHESH KUMAR K R, DIRECTOR in partial fulfilment for the
award of Master’s Degree in Business Administration by Bengaluru City University.
I also declare that this project is the outcome of my own efforts and that it has not been
submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any other Degree or Diploma
or Certificate.
Place: BANGALORE Name: RAKSHITHA T
Date: Register Number: MB191321

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I, RAKSHITHA T express my sincere thanks to Dr. MAHESH KUMAR K. R

(DIRECTOR), Community Institute of Management Studies Bengaluru for providing
opportunity to carry out this project study.
My sincere gratitude to Dr. MAHESH KUMAR K. R (DIRECTOR), Community Institute

of Management Studies Bengaluru for his valuable guidance and support for the successful
completion of this project.
I would like to thank my friends, family, faculty and non-teaching staff who have directly or
indirectly helped me to complete this project successful.
Place: Bangalore RAKSHITHA T
Date: (MB191321)

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INDEX
SL.NO TOPICS PAGE.NO
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE PROJECT 2-5
1.2 CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS 5-7

FOR MIGRANTS
1.3 AN UNDERSTANDING OF MIGRANT LABOUR AND 8-9
THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE AMONG THIS CRISIS
1.4 LEGISLATIVE PROTECTION OFFERED TO INTER- 9-10
STATE MIGRANT
1.5 MIGRANT WORKERS IN INDIA – MAJOR SECTORS 11
1.6 STATUS OF MIGRATION IN INDIA 12-14
1.7 REASONS FOR MIGRATION IN KARNATAKA 15
1.8 CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN EFFECTS 16-17
1.9 MIGRANT WORKERS DATA 18-20
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21
2.1 INTRODUCTION TO STUDY 22
2.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY 23
2.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 23
2.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 24
2.5 SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION 24
2.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY. 24
3 DATA COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS 25

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3.1 MIGRANTS WORKERS IN KARNATAKA 26-27
3.2 TRAINS TO TAKE MIGRANTS TO HOME 28
3.3 PROBLEMS FACED BY MIGRANTS WORKERS 29-36

DURING LOCKDOWN IN KARNATAKA
3.4 STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT 37-38
3.5 DIRECTIONS BY THE SUPREME COURT 39
3.6 CELEBRITIES WHO CAME FORWARD TO HELP 40-42

MIGRANT WORKERS DURING THE COVID
PANDEMIC
3.7 NGOS DESERVE ALL APPRECIATION FOR HELPING 43-49
MIGRANTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
3.8 KARNATAKA OPENS RELIEF CENTRES UNDER 50-51

LOCKDOWN FOR MIGRANT LABOURERS
3.9 DASOHA – FOOD & GROCERY HELPLINE FOR 52-54
MIGRANT WORKERS IN KARNATAKA
4 FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS 55
4.1 FINDINGS 56-60
4.5 SUGGESTIONS 61
5 LEARNING AND CONCLUSION 62
5.1 LEARNING 63
5.2 CONCLUSION 64-65
BIBLIOGRAPHY 66

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CHAPTER – i1
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER – 1
INTRODUCTION
ABSTRACT
With the enactment of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 people believed that
policy makers were finally considering the struggles faced by migrants but, in light of the
recent crisis ensuing in a nationwide lockdown, the provisions of the Act have been reduced
insufficient in battling the lack of welfare faced by migrants. Even though the Constitution
affords economic and social stability to these vulnerable groups, there has been little effort to
improve their plight. This lack of legislation and anticipatory analysis combined with
inadequate data on inter-state migration has allowed the condition of migrants to be severely
hampered by the lockdown, leaving millions stranded in cities without wages and having lost
their livelihood. This paper analyses the issues that migrants face due to the lack of
legislation and aims to provide suggestions to combine the implementation of existing
schemes with welfare policies to ensure better conditions of migrant laborers.
INTRODUCTION
ON MARCH 25th, 2020, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced a three-week
nationwide lockdown beginning at midnight on that day, thus leaving people with barely four
hours of notice before the entire country, barring essential commodities, was shut down the
extreme measure was in furtherance of a battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
which was declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11th.
While the lockdown came as an unwelcome shock to all citizens of the country it seemed to
be the only effective method to limit the spread of the disease before the number of cases
began to rise but, it was the urban poor and the inter-state migrants who were most affected
by the complete shutdown of air, rail and road transport, leaving them stranded in cities away
from their families and without any flow of income.
Experts state that the containment measures, although necessary to slow the spread of the
virus, were vicious in implementation and came at an enormous economic and social cost
affecting the most vulnerable groups in society – interstate migrants who work for daily
wages. Many of them were left helpless when rations began thinning out and the only
solution seemed to be a mass migration of migrants with over thousands of people fleeing the
cities on foot, numerous even dying along the way.
The 2011 Census and data collected from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) assert
that there are over 65 million inter-state migrants, a third of whom depend on daily wages or
are employed in the unorganized sector but even with this huge a number, their welfare and
safety in society seem to be unimportant, for it is only in this time of crisis that their
hardships are beginning to be noticed.
The Indian government had time to learn from the measures taken by other countries and it
rightfully responded with a lockdown but unlike its international counterparts, the terms of
containment were considered to be the most strict so far and they weren’t accompanied by
economic incentives and measures to ensure food security and this lack of anticipatory
analysis on the part of the government not only left migrants stranded and vulnerable, but the
complete stalling of economic productivity and the confinement of the most deprived sections
of society in terrible conditions has created a large scale humanitarian crisis leaving people to
choose between starvation and risking their health in search of food and money.
Inter-state migration first began as a reaction to the agricultural crisis that was marked by an
increase in farmer suicides, unpaid debts, recalling of loans and a severe fall in income and to
escape these conditions workers began moving toward cities in search of job opportunities
but the current scenario has forced them back to the same circumstances that they were
running away from.
Thus, the movement of Labourers from urban cities back to rural areas poses not just a threat
to their health and safety but more challenges like the lack of social security, the consistently
low demand for agricultural produce and labour, the poor hygiene practices and standards,
and the absence of adequate infrastructure to ensure a decent livelihood.
However, the government has failed to consider any of these factors and the Sates continue
to weak labour legislations to protect the economy and business owners, overlooking the fact
that there can be no business without labour. Right from the start, the measures taken to battle
the virus failed to anticipate the most vulnerable groups in society and in doing so the
government has been unsuccessful in its attempt to ensure that its citizens are safe for over 20
million Indians are left unequipped, unsafe, unaware and unconsidered in policymaking and
disaster management mechanisms.
Table 1: State-wise distribution of Migrant Labour
Area/State Persons Males Females

India 45,57,87,621 14,61,45,967 30,96,41,654
Jammu & Kashmir 28,09,629 8,32,333 19,77,296
Himachal Pradesh 26,47,067 6,67,133 19,79,934
Punjab 1,37,35,616 50,80,819 86,54,797
Chandigarh 6,78,188 3,62,318 3,15,870
Uttarakhand 43,17,454 14,81,307 28,36,147
Haryana 1,05,85,460 31,95,530 73,89,930
Delhi 72,24,514 37,51,348 34,73,166
Rajasthan 2,20,71,482 46,02,922 1,74,68,560
Uttar Pradesh 5,64,52,083 1,11,91,861 4,52,60,222
Bihar 2,72,44,869 38,37,402 2,34,07,467
Sikkim 2,47,049 1,09,073 1,37,976
Arunachal Pradesh 6,30,831 3,00,829 3,30,002
Nagaland 5,49,618 2,81,119 2,68,499
Manipur 6,86,935 2,41,237 4,45,698
Mizoram 3,87,370 1,93,388 1,93,982
Tripura 12,99,623 4,84,406 8,15,217
Meghalaya 7,59,554 4,05,387 3,54,167
Assam 1,06,44,234 36,72,018 69,72,216
West Bengal 3,34,48,472 1,02,40,751 2,32,07,721
Jharkhand 96,59,702 20,00,459 76,59,243
Odisha 1,54,21,793 42,26,426 1 1,11,95,367
Chhattisgarh 88,88,075 23,17,498 65,70,577
Madhya Pradesh 2,47,35,119 64,13,774 1,83,21,345
Gujarat 2,68,98,286 99,94,352 1,69,03,934
Daman & Diu 1,48,592 98,535 50,057
Dadra&Nagar 1,88,057 1,03,241 84,816
Haveli
Maharashtra 5,73,76,776 2,41,85,603 3,31,91,173
Andhra Pradesh 3,83,60,644 1,45,94,644 2,37,66,000
Karnataka 2,64,63,170 1,02,04,423 1,62,58,747
Goa 11,40,690 5,37,256 6,03,434
Lakshadweep 20,401 11,897 8,504
Kerala 1,78,63,419 73,12,435 1,05,50,984
Tamil Nadu 3,12,74,107 1,27,84,326 1,84,89,781
Puducherry 7,12,401 3,19,663 3,92,738
Andaman & Nicobar 2,16,341 1,10,254 1,06,087
Islands
Constitutional And Legislative Provisions For Migrants
Evolution Of Labour Legislations In India And Its Neglect Of Migrants

The beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Britain in the 17th Century and the United
States in the 18th Century introduced the world to a new realm of technology and production
where Labour was merely another source of production rather than an indispensable asset to
the revolutionization of invention and manufacture of commodities. This period of
transformation, while initially welcomed by the people and boosted by the arrival of Labour
from small towns and villages to urbanized cities, was tainted by the evils of exploitation and
arbitrary exercise of power by factory owners and employers who took advantage of the
laissez-faire attitude of the government to form arbitrary terms in work contracts, ensure that
they could hire and fire at will, and to overwork and overburden employees who had no
avenue to raise their voices.
Soon, however, the Government of India began to realize that its non-interference would
lead to a decline in economic growth triggered by a lack of productivity caused by unsatisfied
workers whose lives were put at risk every day due to the nonexistence of adequate Labour
standards. This realization coupled with the establishment of the International Labour
Organization (ILO), in 1919, led to the advent of Labour legislations and judicial
pronouncements that aimed at ensuring essential safeguards to workers especially in matters
regarding working hours, minimum wages, leisure time, compensation, redressal mechanisms
in case of disputes, safety measures in the workplace, and overall assurance of Labour
standards by International Treaties and Conventions ratified by India.
The Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 was first in the long line of Labour legislations that
was enacted in India and following its lead were legislations like
 the Trade Unions Act, 1926,
 the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947,
 the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and
 the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
Though these Acts came at a crucial moment in the industrial era and saw to the much-
needed welfare of the working class, it failed to consider that over 90% of the country’s
workforce is employed in the informal or unorganized sector, engaged in setting up shop on
sidewalks or pulling rickshaws, with no welfare measures, minimum wages or any kind of
social and economic security
A lot of these informal workers are inter-state migrants – permanent or seasonal, who flock to
urban cities, from their homes in rural villages or small towns, in search of better job
opportunities and a more steady and stable flow of income, but are instead left unregulated
and deprived of any benefits expected to be provided by an ordinary welfare state, a concept
familiar to Indian legislators as it is treasured in the Preamble to the Constitution of India.
Constitutional Provision Of A ‘Welfare State’ And Its Application To Migrant Workers
The term “Socialist” was added to the Preamble through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment
in 1976 to categorize India as a welfare state where the government protects and promotes the
economic and social well-being of its citizens and this concept is reflected in the Directive
Principles of State Policy which act as guidelines to the state in policy making.
In furtherance of being a welfare state, a concept rooted in principles of equality of
opportunity and equitable distribution of wealth, the Constitution of India provides for the
recognition and welfare of all workers, employed in both the organized and unorganized
sectors, by enforcing a duty on the state to ensure a just social order, equality in income, a
right to employment, humane working conditions, the participation of workers in the
management of industries, and a secure living wage. To ensure that these rights are provided,
the Constitution has made the Central Government responsible for inter-state migration while
both the Centre and States are tasked with the welfare of Labour, employment, social
security, industrial disputes and workmen’s compensation.
However, these responsibilities have evolved into legislations that benefit only the organized
sector while largely self-employed migrants or those who are part of the unorganized sector,
have been left behind in economic and social welfare policies.
The Inter-state Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act,

1979
In 1977, the Government of India constituted a committee to discuss the need for Labour
reforms in the country especially about migrant workmen. The committee felt that the
Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 existent at that time was insufficient to
deal with the overabundance of problems faced by migrant workers and so, they
recommended the enactment of a new consolidated and concrete law.
However, before any steps could be taken toward formulating a system of safeguards, a state
of emergency was announced in the country. In 1979, as soon as the emergency was lifted,
the Inter-state Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill was
introduced in Parliament by the Janata Party but looking at the need for migrant Labour to
revitalize the economy the Bill was tabled for further discussion and approval. It, however,
came into force as a full-fledged Act on June 11, 1979 to regulate the employment of inter-
state migrant workmen and to provide for adequate and approved conditions of service.
The Act provides for all contractors and businesses that employ five or more inter-state
migrants to obtain a license from the state, or states, to which the workmen belong as well as
from the state in which they have been employed or are proposed to be employed. These
businesses must also obtain a registration certificate from the state in which business is being
carried on after submission of documents comprising details of all the employed migrant
workmen.
The Act also requires that the license must contain information about the workman’s
conditions of service such as terms of employment, remuneration working hours,
determination of wages, provision of allowances such as journey allowance and displacement
allowance, and accessibility to medical services, protective clothing, and residential
accommodation.
Furthermore, all of this information must be provided in a passbook to all the migrant
workmen employed by the concerned employer or business, as well as to the appropriate
registration authority. Apart from these provisions, the Act also predicts routine inspections
of the businesses by a public officer to ensure that all requirements are being met and that the
conditions of service meet the necessary standards. However, poor implementation of this
Act has led to the pathetic condition of migrant workers, not just amidst this pandemic, but as
a social class in itself.
Though critics do attribute this non-implementation to the fact that migrant workers do not
provide a substantial vote-bank, such politicization of welfare legislations has been a
recurrent theme in the Indian legal and political system. The government must learn from its
mistakes and carry out more effective and deliberate implementation of this Act to prevent
such a situation in the future and to ensure that a marginalized and permanently displaced
community, like migrant workers, have more secure right to life and personal liberty.
An Understanding of Migrant Labour And The Problems They Face
Among This Crisis
Who are Migrants?

From mines and brick quarries to salons and high-end hotels, migrant Labour contributes to
about 10% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but there is a shocking lack of data to
understand how they are incorporated into India’s economic and legislative structure. As
cities in India became increasingly industrial and rural areas suffered under the agricultural
crisis, the country saw a migration of workers between districts, cities and states. Migrant
Labour can be permanent – one-time movement with no plans to return to their original
home, or seasonal – a style of livelihood pursued by many male members of poor families
which include constant movement in search of employment. This constant movement with no
roots makes migrants extremely vulnerable to exploitation by employers and the lack of
welfare legislations to ensure their protection leaves them defenseless.
Research has shown that many migrants are underpaid, burdened, overworked, prone to
illnesses, and unaware of their rights, and often this condition is worse for migrants employed
in the scarcely regulated unorganized sector. Even with all this information on the condition
of migrant workers in India, the Centre and the states failed to consider that their plight might
be the most affected with the recent lockdown that was imposed in March 2020.
Problems That Migrant Workers Face With The Lockdown
The lockdown, which was imposed without much warning, resulted in the stranding of
millions of migrants in cities unfamiliar to them away from their families and without food or
wages but there is a lack of adequate data, especially with the dynamic nature of the situation,
to track their details and patterns of migration. With this lack of data comes the problem of
accessing the public distribution system for food rations and the failure of Aadhaar which
inhibits the reach of cash transfers proposed by the government. The crisis was accompanied
by a complete shutdown of economic productivity which meant that these migrants had no
access to wages and as mentioned earlier, many of them send their wages back to their
families so without any form of income both the migrants and their families are suffering.
Once the lockdown restrictions were relaxed in certain states, factories and businesses
reopened and job opportunities resurfaced but with the goal of kick-starting economic
activity, these states have weak their Labour legislation to benefit employers. Uttar Pradesh
has suspended all Labour legislations except four, Gujarat has followed its lead allowing for
the functioning of only three legislations, and most states have made reforms to ensure fast-
track issuance of licenses and increase working hours. These reforms will have a severe
impact on the welfare of migrant Labourers who will suffer from lower consumption,
chocked supply chains and will be forced to engage in child Labour for more wages.
In realizing the hardships and suffering faced by the migrants, many petitions have been filed
in the Supreme Court highlighting the pathetic plight of migrant Labourers, seeking the
assurance of wage payments, pleading immediate relief to those engaged in the informal
sector, and asking for migrants to be allowed to travel back to their villages, but they were to
no avail as the court disposed of them all. Responding to this inactivity on the part of the
Supreme Court, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to
Housing, and Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty
and Human Rights stated that as the Supreme Court is the apex court of the country, it had
the power to order the implementation of relief efforts that would help internal migrants
stranded in intolerable conditions after losing their income and being forced out of their
homes.
Unlike the Supreme Court, the High Courts of Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have
made significant steps in ensuring that they are sensitive to the migrant crisis. Following their
lead and urged by various national and international organizations, the Supreme Court finally
pronounced a favourable ruling ordering the governments to register all the migrants and
ensure that they are provided with transport, shelter, food and water until they can return to
their home states. The delayed judicial action could have been fought by comprehensive
legislation for the welfare of migrants but unlike the organized sector, migrant Labourers are
governed by only one terribly implemented law – the Inter-State Migrant Workers Act, 1979.
Legislative Protection Offered To Inter-State Migrant
The Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act,
1979, is an Act that provides for fair and decent conditions of work as well as protection from
exploitation and arbitrary use of power by employers. According to this Act, all business
establishments or contractors employing five or more inter-state migrants must be registered
or licensed, respectively, and the employers must maintain a detailed record of all the migrant
workmen and the wages that they are paid. In addition to this, employers must ensure regular
payment of wages at par with other non-migrant employees, displacement allowance, journey
allowance, suitable accommodation, free medical care, and protective clothing.
The effective implementation of this law would have equipped the government with a
detailed list of all the inter-state migrants employed in various states and it would have aided
the migrants by providing a system of accountability to enforce their rights, but in the light of
the recent crisis, it has become more than apparent that these vulnerable groups go unnoticed
in the ordinary course of life. One reason as to why the Act has seen such terrible execution
could be the numerous compliance requirements that the Act imagines which mandates that
all employers or contractors must, in addition to providing equal pay to migrants, ensure
other social protections like free medical care, payment of various allowances, and adequate
accommodations.
All these factors make the employment of migrants more expensive than the employment of
local Labour, thus making the law a disincentive to formalization of migrant Labour and a
interference to providing adequate social security nets to migrants especially at a time like
this when they are most vulnerable.
So, whose responsibility is it to ensure the effective implementation of this Act? The states or
the Centre? It is true that if the provisions of the Act were properly complied with the
Government would have had comprehensive data on the migrant workers and this would
have greatly eased the management of the mass migration of Labourers following the
lockdown but, a report by UNESCO and UNICEF in 2013 on the ‘Social Inclusion of Internal
Migrants in India’ found that the system of governance for internal migration was poorly
developed and contained many differences and variations, in implementation, across states.
Dagmar Walter, Director of the International Labour Organization’s Decent Work Team for
South Asia, advised both the Central and state governments to practice effective social
dialogue mechanisms of consultation and collaboration accompanied by the International
Labour Standards which provide a strong foundation in developing policies that will lead to a
sustained recovery. She also emphasized the need for coherent and uniform and coordinated
countrywide measures across three pillars:
 Protecting and securing jobs and incomes of vulnerable groups in unorganized
sectors,
 Protecting frontline and outreach workers, and
 Protecting small and micro enterprises.
While Kerala and Maharashtra have taken steps to make their policies more migrant-
friendly there is a clear need for a interconnected legislative framework that is targeted at
the welfare of internal migrants.
Migrant Workers In India – Major Sectors
According to the last census taken in 2011, 37% of India’s population or 45.36 crore people
are categorized as migrants. This includes construction workers, street vendors, auto-
rickshaw and taxi drivers and other casual workers.
While there is no official data on the current number of inter-state migrants in India, it is
estimated to have crossed 65 million.
Migrant Workers In India- Major Sectors

Rural Female % Rural Male % Urban Female % Urban Male %
80
75
70 73 73
69
67 66
65 65
60
59
56 55 56
50 51 52
40
40 40
38
30 32 33
29
20
20
16 16
10 13
10
8
6
0 4
Primary Manufacturing Public services Construction Traditional Modern Total
services services
‘Pull’ and ‘Push’ Factors
Two principle factors- push and pull are responsible for migration. The push factors are
poverty, lack of work opportunities, unemployment and underdevelopment, poor economic
condition, lack of opportunities, exhaustion of natural resources and natural calamities,
scarcity of cultivated land, inequitable land distribution, low agricultural productivity etc.,
Pull factors attract migrant to an area (area of destination), like, employment and higher
education opportunities, higher wages facilities, better working condition. Millions of people
migrated from their far-off villages to the big cities of Kolkata, Mumbai or Delhi. The
appalling living conditions like slums, lack of safe water, absence of sanitation, overcrowding
with the attendant increase in crime, insecurity for women, sexual abuse and exposure to
frequent epidemics and AIDs are the immediate outcome of this population shift.
Status Of Migration In India
Studies on internal migration have been very few because migration has never been
considered an important demographic issue due to the small volume of internal migration
compared to the total size of the population. Large-scale migration of people took place soon
after independence due to the creation of the Muslim country of Pakistan carved out by the
British and agreed to by the power-hungry politicians of the day. About five million Hindus
and Sikhs left Pakistan for India, and about six million Muslims moved into Pakistan from
India, being the highest mass transfer of human population in history. This massive intra-
South-Asian migration became quite limited after independence. After this religious
migration, the major migration is internal and voluntary, mainly due to economic and social
factors.
The population census and National Sample Survey (NSS) have remained the most important
sources of demographic and internal migration data in India. Analysis of inter-district and
inter-state migration has been made based on birthplace statistics collected in all the censuses
from 1881 onwards. It was not until 1961, however, that birthplace was classified as rural or
urban and migration from there as 1) intra-district: within the district of enumeration, 2) inter-
district: outside the district but within the state of list, 3) inter-state: outside the state of record
but within India, 4) or from outside India.
Information on the duration of residence at the place of enumeration was also collected for
the first time in the 1961 census. The 1971 census refined these statistics by including a
question on “place of last residence” and the 1981 census included yet another question on
“reasons for migration.”
Historically, migration in the Indian sub-continent has been low. Researchers like Bhagat
(2009) and Rajan (2016) have attributed this to the prevalence of caste system, joint families,
traditional values, diversity of language and culture, lack of education and predominance of
agriculture and semi-feudal land relations. However, the rapid transformation of the Indian
economy, improvement in the levels of education and that of transport and communication
facilities, the shift of workforce from agriculture to industry and tertiary activities, among
others, are the new motivation influencing mobility pattern of Indian people in recent times.
Table: 1
Size of Internal & International Migrants Based on Place of
Last Residence, India, 1971-2011 (in millions) (Bhagat, 2009)
Census Total Internal Internal International International Total

Population Migrants Migrants Migrants Migrants of Migrants of
(%) Total (%) Total
Population
(%)
1971 548.1 159.6 29.1 8.1 1.4 30.6
1981 659.3 200.5 30.4 6.0 0.9 31.3
1991 814.3 220.7 27.1 5.9 0.7 27.8
2001 1028.6 309.3 30.0 5.1 0.4 30.4
2011 1210.8 453.6 NA 11.4 NA 37.4
NA: Not Available

Source: According to the world Bank Report (2011)
The last official census done in 2011 shows the total number of internal migrants was 453.6
million based on place of the last residence (37.4% of the total population). As seen in Table
1, the number of internal migrants has tripled since 1971, from 159 million in 1971 to 454
million in 2011, with a decadal increase of 144.3 million (7%) internal migrants between
2001 and 2011. Of these 144 million migrants during the last decade, 60 million were inter-
state and 80 million inter -district.
“The first-ever estimates of internal work-related migration using railway data for the period
2011-2016 indicate an annual average flow of close to 9 million people between the states”
(Government of India, 2017). It is generally accepted that migration slowed down during the
decade 1981-1991 because of increased unemployment and sluggish growth in the Indian
economy.
While internal migration increased gradually, international migration decreased steadily since
1971. Due to the unavailability of complete census report, it is difficult to state the
international migration data. According to Connor (2017), India is the top source of
international migrants with one in twenty migrants worldwide born in India. In 2015, nearly
15.6 million people born in India were living in other countries. Of this, nearly half live in
three countries, namely, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and the United States. At the same
time, India has one of the world’s lowest emigration rates, with only 1% of the birth
population living outside the country.
On the other hand, India is also one of the top destination countries for migrants. Connor
(2017) states that as of 2015, about 5.2 million immigrants live in India, making it the 12th-
largest immigrant population in the world. The overwhelming majority of India’s immigrants
are from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh (3.2 million), Pakistan (1.1 million),
Nepal (540,000) and Sri Lanka (160,000).
Reasons For Migration In Karnataka
Here, using secondary data, published by the Census of India in the year 2011, some issues of
migration particularly of the reasons and tenure of migration are briefly discussed.
Table 01: Below Gives Data On Specific Reasons For Migration.
REASONS FOR MIGRATION

35,000,000
30,000,000
25,000,000
Population
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
0
Employment Business Education Marriage Others Total
Purpose
Rural Urban Total
Source: Registrar General of India, Census 2011, Data on Migration, Karnataka State.
Data presented in Table- 01 describe the reasons for migration. It is found that of the total
migrants, as per the 2011Census, a remarkable proportion (49.80 percent) of the migrants
migrate for the purpose of the business. About 28.50 per cent migrated for employment,
10.08 % for education, 08.20% migrated due to marriage, and 03.42% assigned other reasons
for migration.
Coronavirus Lockdown - 26 Lakh Migrant Workers In Halfway Houses
This is an extreme underestimation, going by the other assessments made by Central and
State governments, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s estimate of 8 crore
stranded migrants.
The Chief Labour Commissioner’s office has counted over 26 lakh migrant workers stranded
across the country, of which 10% are in relief camps or shelter homes, while 43% are in situ
at workplaces and 46% are in other groups.
This is an extreme underestimation, going by the other assessments made by Central and
State governments, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s estimate of 8 crore
stranded migrants used to determine extra ration provisions in the Atmanirbhar package. On
April 8, even as the first wave of workers was leaving the cities due to the lockdown, CLC
(Central) Rajan Verma wrote to his regional heads, telling them that “comprehensive data” on
migrant workers was “urgently required within three days”.
They were asked to collect district- wise information on relief camps and details of employers
whose labour was in situ at the workplace, as well as other localities where migrants were
clustered.
However, when RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak requested this information, the CLC’s office
responded on May 5, saying the information was not available. The Central Information
Commission (CIC) held an urgent hearing of the appeal on May 27 and ruled that the
information must be uploaded on the CLC’s website within a week.
The document now available on the CLC website gives State-wise data on stranded migrants,
saying that there are a total of 26,17,218 across the country. Chhattisgarh had the highest
number of almost 11lakh, of which 8.6 lakh are in clusters outside workplaces and shelters.
Kerala has the largest number in relief camps, with 1.3 lakh out of a total 2.8 lakh stranded
migrants in camps.
“The first step towards resolving a problem in public administration is to collect adequate
information and data about the problem. The CLC’s action of demonstrating some measure of
compliance with the CIC’s advisory is to be welcomed as a good start,” said Mr. Nayak.
“However, there is no indication of when this data was collected and whether it is reasonably
complete.” He pointed out that the Centre has said 91 lakh migrant workers have returned in
trains and buses organised by the government, well after the CLC’s order, which counted
only 26 lakh stranded migrants. The CLC’s figure of 88,852 stranded migrants in Karnataka
is only a fraction of the 11lakh figure for the State that was submitted to the High Court, he
said.
“I am hoping that they will be more forthcoming with such information in the coming days.
However, if this is all they have managed to collect after the D.O. was issued, it is indicative
of the inadequacy of existing structures to channel adequate information to the CLC in real
time,” he said.
Government of India
Chief Labor Commissioner (Central)
Migrant Workers Data
Sl. No State/UTs Total Migrant

Workers
1 Chhattisgarh 1085828
2 Kerala 286849
3 Telangana 184006
4 Maharashtra 181909
5 Andra Pradesh 100099
6 Odisha 56622
7 Rajasthan 92883
8 Karnataka 88852
9 Tamil Nadu 193730
10 Jammu And Kashmir 52972
11 Haryana 48195
12 Gujarat 47566
13 Uttar Pradesh 36412
14 Assam 25926
15 Delhi 20783
16 Jharkhand 16616
17 Madhya Pradesh 9621
18 Uttarakhand 9650
19 Tripura 8201
20 Nagaland 7762
21 Bihar 7719
22 Goa 7678
23 Arunachal Pradesh 3057
24 Himachal Pradesh 5541
25 Andaman And Nicobar Islands 2472
26 Puducherry 2031
27 Punjab 2040
28 West Bengal 1867
29 Mizoram 768
30 Meghalaya 1864
31 Chandigarh 1199
32 Manipur 6302
33 Sikkim 192
2597218
Maharashtra Additional Data 20000
Total 2617218
Sl. No State/UTs Category A Category B Category C Total

Migrant
Workers
Relief Camp/ In-Situ Other Localities
Shelter Home Labours At Where Migrants
Workplace Are Clustered
(Other Than A &
B)
1 Chhattisgarh 4081 221209 860601 1085828

2 Kerala 134384 107078 45384 2868463
3 Telangana 1291 89925 92790 1840064
4 Maharashtra 21344 130202 30363 1819095
5 Andra Pradesh 11246 80574 8279 100099

6 Odisha 29560 22125 4937 56622
7 Rajasthan 7483 77988 7412 92883
8 Karnataka 1664 58650 28538 88852
9 Tamil Nadu 0 139178 54552 193730
10 Jammu And 6404 22657 23911 52972
Kashmir
11 Haryana 15240 23559 9396 48195
12 Gujarat 8182 38513 871 47566
13 Uttar Pradesh 4019 31044 1358 36421

14 Assam 262 7021 18643 25962
15 Delhi 2397 18261 125 20783
16 Jharkhand 108 16346 162 16616
17 Madhya Pradesh 1543 7932 146 9621
18 Uttarakhand 2857 4077 2716 9650
19 Tripura 0 7050 1151 8201
20 Nagaland 808 2861 4093 7762
21 Bihar 2727 3614 1378 7719
22 Goa 408 0 7270 7678
23 Arunachal Pradesh 0 2692 95 3057
24 Himachal Pradesh 148 5347 46 5541
25 Andaman & Nicobar 1820 652 0 2472
Islands
26 Puducherry 3 1978 50 2031
27 Punjab 0 1990 50 2040
28 West Bengal 16 1851 0 1867
29 Mizoram 95 553 120 768
30 Meghalaya 0 1864 0 1864
31 Chandigarh 37 813 349 1199
32 Manipur 5195 1107 0 6302
33 Sikkim 0 192 0 6302
263259 1129173 1204786 2597218
10% 43% 46%
Maharashtra 20000
Additional Data
Total 2617218
CHAPTER – 2
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
Chapter-2
Research Methodology
TITLE OF THE STUDY

“A Study on impact of lockdown on Migrants Workers in Karnataka”
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY
COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis that has put the entire world economy at a halt.
How this pandemic is affecting the migrant economy cannot be ignored or side-lined. In
Karnataka too, the COVID-19 impact has gone beyond public health to social and economic
issues, especially for migrant workers.
The spread of the virus from Wuhan, China started in January, and from that time onwards,
most countries have taken strict measures to contain it. To tackle a virus that is of new origin
and that can transform, it is understandable that the Indian government decided to implement
lockdown measures, social distancing, and border closures.
Karnataka migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic have faced multiple

hardships. With factories and workplaces shut down due to the lockdown imposed in the
country, thousands of migrant workers had to deal with the loss of income, food shortages
and uncertainty about their future. Following this, many of them and their families went
hungry. Thousands of them then began walking back home, with no means of transport due
to the lockdown.
In response, the Central and State Governments took various measures to help them, and later
arranged transport for them. More than 300 migrant workers died due to the lockdown, with
reasons ranging from starvation, suicides, exhaustion, road and rail accidents, police brutality
and denial of timely medical care.
NEED FOR THE STUDY
The lockdown has severely impacted migrants, several of whom lost their jobs due to
shutting of industries and were stuck outside their native places wanting to get back. This
research study tries to analyse the impact or effects of lockdown on Migrants in Karnataka, as
no constructive study has been carried out so far in this direction. The study also tries to
highlight the problems and Challenges faced by the migrants due to lockdown, and also the
measures and policies taken up by the government to overcome the problem.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
 To understand the major problems faced by migrants in Karnataka during lockdown

and to find suitable solutions for it.
 To know the reason and purpose of migrants.
 To understand the causes of death and reason behind committing suicide of the
migrants.
 To know the Steps, measures, and policy taken by the Government for the welfare of
migrants.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research is primarily based on secondary data. Therefore, no primary data or field study
was conducted, instead it is desk study. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the
problems that are faced by the migrants during the lockdown.
RESEARCH DESIGN
This is a DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH.

SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION
SECONDARY DATA: From published books, research papers, magazine, journals, articles,
documents and internet.
TOOLS OF DATA ANALYSIS

1. Distribution Table
2. Percentage analysis
3. Graphs.
PLAN OF ANALYSIS
The data analysis needed for the study will be collected from secondary data sources. Data
analysis and interpretation will be done using the statistical tool, images and data presented
through tables and charts.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
1. The study is covered in Karnataka.

2. Majority of the migrant workers are not registered.
3. It is based on secondary data only.
4. Time availability is very short.
CHAPTER – 3
DATA COMPARISON AND
ANALYSIS
Migrants Workers in Karnataka
Karnataka too is home to a number of inter-state migrants. People from across the country
have been drawn to this state to be part of the gig economy.
As of 17th May 2020, around 6 lakh migrants had registered themselves on the Karnataka
state’s Seva Sindhu portal to go back to their homes.
Of these, more than 3 lakh individuals were from Bengaluru city alone. The majority of these
migrants belong to 2 states. 1.4 lakh applicants belonged to Bihar while 1.1 lakh belonged to
Uttar Pradesh.
Registered Migrants
24%
33%
19%
7%
8%
9%
Bihar UP Jharkhand Odisha Rajasthan Rest of India
Migrants in Karnataka have been categorized into 2 groups. The first is made up of people
from the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Most of these people are from an agricultural
background and work in the construction sector in Bengaluru.
The second group of migrants is from north India. These semi-skilled Labourers work in
granite, painting, kitchens and housekeeping.
Migrants Workers in Karnataka – Population Across Districts
While the overall number of migrants in Karnataka’s relief camps may have increased, a
number of districts apart from Bengaluru have reported a drop in migrants.
This is mainly due to migrants leaving Karnataka for other states. Almost 4,000 Labourers
left Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan after these states made arrangements for
their transport.
Migrant Workers In Karnataka

80000
70000
60000
50000
Population
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Bengaluru Dharwad Ballari Rural Bengaluru Davangere
Trains to Take Migrants to Home
The state is organizing special trains during COVID-19 to take these migrants to their
destination.
76 trains have been operational since May 3rd. These trains have ferried a little over 1 lakh
people. If these 23 trains were routed to Uttar Pradesh and 21 trains were routed to Bihar.
Registered Migrants
10%
9%
5%
2%
62% 12%
Uttar Pradesh Bihar Jharkhand Odisha Rajasthan Rest of India
The state has also organized 7 special trains from Karnataka. The first Shramik Special
train left from Hubballi in 14th May at 12.20 pm for Jodhpur. The train had 1,361 passengers.
While the state is arranging special trains for all migrants who want to return to their home
state, it is also appealing to migrants to stay back. Labourers will be provided with free food
at camps to encourage them to stay back. The state worries that if the migrant labourer
population leaves the state, reopening the economy may be more difficult.
After all, these are the people who work on real estate construction, who sell tea by the
roadsides, who drive cabs taking office goers to work, etc. However, the final choice lies with
the migrants and the only way the state can convince them to do otherwise is to take care of
them.
Problems Faced by Migrants Workers During Lockdown In Karnataka
Labourers try to go back to Uttar Pradesh from Mysuru but find themselves at
Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).
They did not hear from the authorities for almost 10 days after registering their names on the
Seva Sindhu portal to head back to their native places in Uttar Pradesh from Mysuru.
So, a group of 12 migrant labourers, most of whom are in their twenties and thirties, who had
been working at construction site on KRS Road, piled themselves onto an empty goods truck
two days ago to leave the city in a desperate bid to reach their respective home towns in Uttar
Pradesh.
Though the truck was headed to Hyderabad in Telangana, the migrants hoped to catch
another ride to their native places from there. But, they were stopped in their tracks when the
truck was not allowed to cross Karnataka’s border with Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday night
by security personnel. They were brought to Bengaluru and put up at the Bangalore
International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).
“Though we registered on the Seva Sindhu portal on May 4, we did not hear from the
authorities. We approached the officials at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mysuru, but
were told to wait for our turn. But, for how long can we wait? Though more than 10 days
have passed, we have not received any text message or information. We had no work for
almost two months now and our parents are waiting for our return”, said Rajdev, a native of
Gorakhpur, who had been working as a painter at the construction site of a residential
complex on KRS Road.
After exhausting all their options by knocking on the doors of the police officials and the
railways to facilitate the return to their native, this group of 12 migrant labourers negotiated
with a truck driver on Wednesday to drop them in Hyderabad for ₹22,000. When their
journey was cut short, the truck driver, however, returned ₹17,000, they said.
The migrant labourers, however, said they were provided with food and place to sleep at
BIEC. “We have been asked to wait here till arrangements are made for us to go back to our
native places”, Rajdev told The Hindu over phone.
The migrant labourers said they were among the hundreds put up at the BIEC. Even though
their employer in Mysuru tried to convince them to stay on as construction work at the site
will resume with the easing of the lockdown norms, the migrant labourers were unwilling to
stay on. “We will engage ourselves in agriculture on our lands back in our native places to
earn a livelihood”, said Prashant, who was accompanying Rajdev.
Labour Department officials in Mysuru said the migrants registered on Seva Sindh portal will
receive a text message only if their native State gives consent to their return. The Karnataka
government has little role to play in granting permission. “They may give permission after
making arrangements for their return like testing and quarantining if necessary”, the official
said.
Almost 2,000 migrant labourers in Mysuru had registered themselves on the Seva Sindhu
portal to return to their native places in different places of North India including Rajasthan,
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Railway officials said they will not be able to operate Shramik Special trains from Mysuru to
different places. Even though 2,000 migrants had registered on the portal, a train can be
operated only if there are 1,200 people from one particular destination to another. In
Mysuru’s case, the migrants were headed to different States of North India.
Migrant Workers Stopped At Karnataka Border For 3 Days Without
Food, Water: Even Refugees Treated Better
Bengaluru: Migrant workers returning from Gujarat to Karnataka after two months of

lockdown were denied entry into the state and made to wait at the Karnataka–Maharashtra
border for 72 hours without food and water.
They were finally allowed to enter at 2 am on Friday after top leaders, including leader of the
opposition Siddaramaiah intervened. The mistreatment of the migrant workers at the hands of
police and bureaucrats has led to a furore in the state.
About 30 people from Bagalkote district had returned to the state after being stuck in
Ahmedabad for about two months. They were quarantined there for 20 days. After the easing
of lockdown norms on May 4, Ahmedabad city administration allowed them to return home
by road. When they reached Karnataka border at Nippani, the police forcibly stopped them,
telling them not to enter.
Even after showing all documents issued by the Gujarat government, they were denied entry
without giving any reasons. When they applied for entry into Karnataka via an app, their
applications were put on hold, again giving no reasons.
“We were treated like criminals, unwanted foreigners or refugees by our own police,” said
Yousuf Mudhol, one of the stranded persons, told News18 over the phone.
“They told us to go back to Maharashtra or Gujarat. Maharashtra Police told us that since we
were Kannadigas, we should enter Karnataka. We were kicked around like a football for three
days,” he said.
Mudhol said the group was denied even basic requirements like food and water. “Even a
hostile foreign country won’t treat refugees like this. After leaders like Siddaramaiah
intervened on our behalf, the police and bureaucrats relented and finally let us enter at 2 o’
clock in the night. We are now quarantined again. We have no issues with it,” he added.
According to him hundreds of others like him were treated in the same manner and some are
still struggling to enter the state. More such incidents have come to light in the last two days,
though Karnataka government is officially maintaining that all stranded Kannadigas are
welcome back home.
Karnataka – Goa border is also witnessing similar scenes. Thousands of villagers from
Karnataka, who work in Goa were allowed to return home after Monday. But, they were
stopped at Pollem on the border and even told to go back.
After Karnataka Congress leader Nivedith Alva put pressure on the government, Labour
minister A Shivaram Hebbar ordered the police to let them in.
“People are still facing the problem. It is inhuman. How can we stop our own people from
returning home?” asks Nivedith Alva.
According to a top bureaucrat who did not want to be identified, the chief secretary to
Karnataka government instructed the northern border districts administration not to allow the
people returning from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra to enter Karnataka, fearing it might
lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases in the state as these three states have high number of
infections.
“We understand his concern. Karnataka has managed the Covid-19 crisis well. The
government does not want the numbers to go up. But, we can’t stop our own people like this.
People can be sent to quarantine centres. They can’t be stopped” said the IAS officer.
The chief minister BS Yediyurappa has assured that such incidents won’t be repeated and he
will issue clear instructions to officials.
Surge in Covid-19 Cases, Fear of Another Lockdown & Job Loss Has
Thousands Absconding Bengaluru
India’s IT city, which successfully managed to contain the spread of the coronavirus
pandemic for the first three months, seems to have lost the plot in the last one week.
The rising number of coronavirus cases in the state capital, coupled with the fear of another
lockdown and the loss of jobs is forcing thousands of people to flee the megapolis and return
to their native places in Karnataka
On Sunday, 64% of the total number of Covid-19 infections in the state were from Bengaluru
urban district alone. In the last one week, at least two to three lakh people have left the city,
triggering panic in government circles and the business community.
Pune – Bengaluru National Highway, the main arterial road, which dissects the state from the
state capital to Belgaum, about 570 kilometres away, is jam-packed with vehicles heading to
different parts of Karnataka. Almost all toll gates are witnessing a huge rush of frenzied
people who are returning home either for a short duration or permanently.
People from the lower-middle class strata and the poor, who were earning their livelihood
through odd jobs and small businesses, could be seen heading home in pickup trucks,
minivans and even auto-rickshaws with their belongings.
Some said they are returning home as they feared their safety amid mounting Covid-19 cases
in the city, while the remaining maintained that they were forced to leave as there are no jobs
left and small businesses had collapsed completely.
Basavaraj, a 40-year-old Uber cab driver has returned to his native place Bidar with his
family. He said that he vacated his house and asked the school to issue transfer certificates for
his two children. “I have been in Bengaluru for the past 20 years. In the last three months, our
taxi business has collapsed. It is difficult to earn even Rs 1,000 a day. Future also looks
uncertain. That’s why I am returning to my native place Bidar. When the schools reopen, I
will admit my children at a government school in my village," Basavaraj told News18. He
added that he would try to survive by engaging in some small business there. "We can’t live
in Bengaluru any longer. Like me, hundreds of others have also left for their native places.
Some might return after a few months. Some may not," he said.
Tens of thousands of “To Let” boards greet the people across the city, a reminder of the grim
situation.
Rajagopal Reddy of Electronic City, who owns over 100 small-sized houses for rent, claims
that 75% of his tenants have left for their native places. “Earlier, it was difficult to find a
vacant house here. In the first two months, outsiders (people from other states) vacated their
houses and left. Most of them may not come back. Now, people from different parts of
Karnataka are leaving. We did not expect this. It is scary. The real estate business has almost
collapsed overnight”, he said.
An alarmed state government is making repeated requests to the people asking them to not
flee Bengaluru. The Home Minister Basavaraj S Bommai said that people are returning to
their homes fearing another lockdown. “There is no proposal to impose another lockdown.
These are just rumours. We are requesting the people to stay back in the city”, he said.
Even Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa assured the people that there is no need to worry as
there would not be any further lockdown. The sudden reverse migration has hit businesses in
the city hard as many establishments are facing an acute shortage of workforce. In some
places, the milk and newspaper delivery boys have suddenly disappeared. The infrastructure
industry which depends heavily on the workers from the north has taken a huge hit as even
the local workers have returned to their villages.
In Bid to Go Home, Over 3,000 Karnataka Migrants Wait for Hours for
Uttarakhand-bound Train with 1,700 Seats
More than 3,000 migrant workers, many of them from north India and employed in districts
across Karnataka, assembled near the city's Palace Grounds in the wee hours of Wednesday
to board a Shramik Special Train with a seating capacity of 1,700. The train was bound for
Haridwar, Uttarakhand and was scheduled to depart on Wednesday evening, the Times of
India reported.
The migrant workers, wanting to go home, stood for close to ten hours in the sweltering heat.
Some managed to get on the train that left from the Cantonment station at 8 pm.
Several migrant workers have fallen sick or died on their way home, either from exhaustion
or in accidents, highlighting the risks the poor have been exposed to since the lockdown to
check the spread of coronavirus was announced in March.
"I came from Udupi on Tuesday by asking rides and paying people en route. I have been
waiting here since 4 am,” Manoj Negi, another migrant worker from Pithoragarh was quoted
as saying.
Police officials were grappling with the situation, trying to contain the crowd. Several
migrants had registered online and had received text messages from the Uttarakhand
government. A few, had not been granted permission but had come to try and secure a seat.
Those queuing included workers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. In some
respite, around 1,700 people, majority of them headed to Uttarakhand were packed into
busses taken to Cantonment railway station. The remaining, carrying their belongings,
walked back to their camps.
MIGRANTS IN BANGALORE
77,090 migrants have been identified in Bengaluru. Of these, 21,709 were identified in
Mahadevapura, making it the area with the highest number of migrants. Yelahanka had
21,709 migrants making it the area with the second-highest density of migrants.
26,157 migrants in Bengaluru are being accommodated by their employers during the
lockdown.
The remaining 55,381 are currently living in temporary camps or rented accommodation.
Camps managed by contractor’s house 49,258 migrants.
In addition to accommodation, these camps also provide the migrants living in them, 1 litre of
milk per family on a daily.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AND RESPONSES
Steps Taken By The Government With Regard To Migrant Workers During The
Lockdown
During the lockdown, several inter-state migrant workers tried to return to their home state.
Due to the postponement of public transport facilities, migrants started walking towards their
home state on foot. Later, buses and Shramik special trains were permitted by the central
government subject to coordination between states. Between May 1s and June 3rd, more
than 58 lakh migrants were transported through specially operated trains and 41 lakh were
transported by road. Measures taken by the government to aid migrants include-
TRANSPORT:
On March 28, the central government authorised states to use the State Disaster Response
Fund to provide accommodation to traveling migrants. States were advised to set up relief
camps along highways with medical facilities to ensure people stay in these camps while the
lockdown is in place.
 In an order issued on April 29, the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed states to co-
ordinate individually to transport migrants using buses.
 On May 1, the Indian Railways restarted passenger movement (for the first time since
March 22) with Shramik Special trains to facilitate movement of migrants stranded
outside their home state.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION:
 On April 1, the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs directed state governments

to operate relief camps for migrant workers with arrangements for food,
sanitation and medical services.
 On May 14, under the second tranche of the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the
Finance Minister announced that free food grains would be provided to migrant
workers who do not have a ration card for two months. for two months. The
measure is expected to benefit eight crore migrant workers and their families.
 The Finance Minister also announced that One Nation One Ration card will be
implemented by March 2021, to provide portable benefits under the PDS. This
will allow access to ration from any Fair Price Shop in India.
HOUSING:
The Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan also launched a scheme for Affordable Rental Housing
Complexes for Migrant Workers and Urban Poor to provide affordable rental housing units
under PMAY.
The scheme offers to use existing housing stock under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Housing Mission (JnNURM) as well as incentivise public and private agencies to construct
new affordable units for rent. Further, additional funds have been allocated for the credit
linked subsidy scheme under PMAY for middle income group.
QUARANTINE MEASURES:
Many states reported high numbers of positive cases of COVID-19 among the migrants
returning home as lockdown restrictions relieved. State governments opened thousands of
quarantine centres to house them, with some states imposing mandatory institutional
quarantine. States also imposed strict measures for migrants to follow, either while leaving or
after entering state borders.
DIRECTIONS BY THE SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court reviewed the situation of migrant labourers stranded in different parts of
the country, noting inadequacies and lapses in government response to the situation.
1. On May 26, the Court issued an order to the central and state governments to submit a
response detailing all measures taken by the respective governments for migrant
labourers.
2. On May 28, the Court provided interim directions to the central and state/UT
governments for ensuring relief to the migrant workers:
i) No train or bus fare should be charged to migrant workers.
ii) Free food should be provided to stranded migrants by the concerned State
government and this information should be publicised.
iii) States should simplify and speed-up the process of registration of migrants for
transport and those registered should be provided transportation at the earliest
and
iv) The state receiving migrants should provide last-mile transport, health
screening and other facilities free of cost.
Restating their earlier directions, on June 5 (full order issued on June 9 th ), the Supreme Court
further directed the Central and state/UT governments to ensure:
i) Transportation of all stranded workers wanting to return to their native place is

completed within 15 days.
ii) Identification of migrant workers is immediately completed and the process of

migrant registration be decentralised to police stations and local authorities.
iii) Records of returning migrant labourers are kept including details about place of
earlier employment and nature of their skills, and
iv) Counselling centres are set-up at the block level to provide information about central
and state government schemes and other avenues of employment. The Court also
directed the state/UT governments to consider withdrawal of prosecution/complaints
under Section 51 of Disaster Management Act filed against migrant labourers who
allegedly violated lockdown orders.
Celebrities Who Came Forward To Help Migrant Workers During The
COVID Pandemic
From superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar to Farhan Akhtar, Sonu
Sood, Varun Dhawan, Tahira Kashyap and others, here's how Bollywood celebrities have
joined the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Actor Sonu Sood Sends Migrant Workers Home, Wins Hearts
Lately actor Sonu Sood has been making headlines for sending migrant workers back to their
native place. On May 11, for the first time, Mr Sood arranged 10 buses that left with 350
migrants from Maharashtra to Karnataka, with permissions from doctors and governments of
both the states. Since then, there has been no looking back for the actor. On May 25, the actor
launched helpline number - 18001213711 for migrants living in Mumbai and willing to go
back to their home town.
The actor has also opened up his Juhu hotel to accommodate medical workers and is
providing meals to the underprivileged in Mumbai.
Shah Rukh Khan And Wife Gauri Khan Extend Financial Support, Offer Personal
Office Space For Quarantine Facility
On April 2, Shah Rukh Khan announced that his set of companies - Kolkata Knight Riders,
Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX - will extend financial
support to several charities including Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in
Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES), and Maharashtra's Chief Minister Relief Fund.
Shah Rukh Khan and wife Gauri Khan also pledged to protect the health care workers by
providing for personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, support daily wage workers, acid
attack survivors and others.
Vetran Actor Shabana Azmi Provides Ration, Cooked Meals And Sanitation Items
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi along with NGO ActionAid India and its partners is lending a
helping hand to over 10 lakh people hit by the nationwide lockdown. The actor has provided
for ration, cooked meals, and sanitation products for migrant workers and daily wage
labourers across 172 districts in 21 states in the country.
Ayushmann Khurrana And Wife Tahira Kashyap Step Up For Women
Ayushmann Khurrana and wife Tahira Kashyap have been supporting an NGO Shakti
Foundation that has undertaken varied social initiatives for the socially and financially
vulnerable. One of the projects being Gulmeher - a women's collective of waste-pickers from
Delhi's Ghazipur turned artisans.
The duo called for financial assistance to support women artisans in these trying times and
urged people to donate
Varun Dhawan Provides Meals For The Poor And Healthcare Professionals
Actor Varun Dhawan collabourated with Tata Trust to provided meals to poor people who are
out of job due to Coronavirus lockdown and who don't have homes. The actor also stepped up
for frontline workers risking their lives and committed to provide meals to doctors and
medical staff at hospitals
Actor Akshay Kumar Lends Money To Numerous Charities
Akshay Kumar has been quite vocal about spreading awareness about the coronavirus
pandemic and has repeatedly requested the citizens to follow the lockdown rules for
preventive and precautionary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. To support
frontline workers and daily wagers, the actor has extended support to numerous funds.
Akshay has donated Rs. 25 crore to PM-CARES fund, Rs. 2 crore to Mumbai Police
Foundation, Rs. 3 crore to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Rs. 45 lakh to
Cine And TV Artists Association (CINTAA).
The actor had also participated in Bollywood's biggest fundraiser concert I For India
organised to raise money for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Farhan Akhtar Donates 1,000 Personal Protective Equipment Kits
To assist healthcare workers in their fight against COVID-19, actor Farhan Akhtar recently
donated 1,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to government hospitals across the
country. The actor has also partnered with celebrity shout-out platform Tring to raise money
for additional PPE kits.
As part of the contribution, a set of PPE kits have been delivered at Vakola Police Station and
Cama Hospital in Mumbai.
Actor Swara Bhasker Distributes Footwear To Migrant Workers
Hit by the plight of migrant workers walking barefoot to their native place, actor Swara
Bhasker recently partnered with Action and Athleo Shoes. As part of the collabouration, the
actor distributed 500 pairs of footwear in Delhi along with the on-ground volunteers of
Karwan-E-Mohabbat, towards migrant relief.
NGOs Deserve All Appreciation For Helping Migrants During COVID-19
Pandemic
The Bench directs States and Union territories (UTs) to transport all the stranded
workers to their respective destinations by train, bus or other modes within 15 days
from today.
Though it is the responsibility of government to take care of migrant workers, the

contribution and role played by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) “deserves all
appreciation” for coming forward to help them by providing food, water and transport during
the “difficult time” of COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court also praised the individuals who contributed and played an important role
in extending a helping hand to the migrants and said the society, which was moved by their
miseries and difficulties, has exhibited its “passion and devotion“.
“Although it is the responsibility and duty of the States and Union Territories to take care of
the needs of the migrant labourers, in this difficult time non-governmental organisations and
individuals have also contributed and played an important role in extending a helping hand to
the migrants,” the Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah said.
“Non-governmental organisations coming forward to help the migrant workers and to fight
the pandemic and extend help by providing food, water and transportation at their cost
deserves all appreciation,” the Bench said in its 30-page order by which it also directed all
States and Union territories (UTs) to transport all the stranded workers to their respective
destinations by train, bus or other modes within 15 days from today.
It also said there was a need for States and Union Territories to streamline the vigilance and
supervision of actions of their officers and staff for taking appropriate action so that the
measures and schemes reach the beneficiaries.
The Court, which has taken Suo motu (on its own) cognizance on the plights of migrant
workers during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown period, noted that during the arguments
in the matter it was brought before it that various High Courts across the country have also
taken notice of cases of migrant labourers.
“High Courts being constitutional courts are well within their jurisdiction to take cognizance
of violation of fundamental rights of migrant workers and we have no doubt that those
proceedings shall proceed after considering all aspects including the response of concerned
authorities,” the Bench said.
The Court noted that States and UTs have claimed before that they have been following the
orders, guidelines, policies and decisions of the Centre as well as the concerned authorities
and are taking necessary steps in this regard.
“There can be no exception to the policies and intentions of the State but what is important is
that those on whom implementation of circulars, policies and schemes are entrusted are
efficiently and correctly implementing those schemes,” the Bench observed.
It said that lapses and short-comings in implementing the schemes and policies have been
highlighted before it by various intervenors in the matter. “The responsibility of the
States/Union Territories is not only to refer their policy, measures contemplated and funds
allocated but there has to be strict vigilance and supervision as to whether those measures,
schemes and benefits reach those to whom they are meant,” the Bench said.
“We impress on States and Union Territories to streamline the vigilance and supervision of
actions of their officers and staff and take appropriate action where required,” the Bench said.
The Supreme Court had on May 28 directed that no fare be charged from any migrant
workers for their travel either by train or bus.
List Of NGOs Providing Relief During Covid-19
NGO Name Brief Description State Contact

Details
Youth Feed The Hyderabad-based not-for-profit Pan India Please contact
India organisation works for the urban poor by Invest India to
Program introducing sustainable livelihoods get in touch
under SAFA through an area-based community model. with the NGO
Organisation This also includes establishing skill
training centres for the youth. With covid-
19 having adversely affected the migrant
population, Safa & other NGOs including
Cry, BGIF, and 15 others are helping us
distribute in Hyderabad, Bengaluru,
Chennai, Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai and
North Karnataka.
Zomato The not-for-profit started the ‘Feed the Pan India Contact
Feeding Daily Wager’ project after the Person: Aman
India announcement of the 21-day lockdown to Contact
provide food support to families of daily Number:
wage earners across cities, who might 9871178810
have lost out on employment in this time Link
of crisis. With the aim to raise INR 50
crore, the project is slowly inching
towards the halfway mark, by having
amassed more than INR 17 crore in
donation. Each meal kit, procured with
the funds and costing INR 500, should
last a family of five for a week and
contains a combination of basic staples
such as wheat flour, rice and two kinds of
pulses. The non-profit has partnered with
other NGOs and social enterprises
working on the ground such as the Centre
for Education and Health Research
Organisation in Delhi and Balancing Bits
in Gurugram, while following proper
social distancing guidelines.
Give India Give India is a non-profit organisation in Pan India Link
India. It is an online donation platform
and aims to channel and provide
resources to credible non-governmental
organisations across India. they are
raising funds for two COVID19
programmes at the moments:
 Donation for food parcels for
daily wage earners
 Hygiene kits for those in high risk
areas
Kashtakari Among the frontlines of India’s battle Contact

Panchayat against corona-virus are waste pickers, Number:
who ensure towns and cities are clean and 9158007062
garbage-free. But given the nature of their Link
work, they are also among the
communities most vulnerable to
infections. Pune-based Kashtakari
Panchayat has organised a fundraiser to
support nearly 7,000 workers in Pune and
the neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad. The
funds will be used to provide safety kits,
consisting of gloves, masks, soaps and
sanitizers, and a month’s supply of
essentials, like grains, pulses, oil, sugar
and tea. “It was necessary because most
workers supplement their income by
selling scrap," says Lakshmi Narayan,
trustee of Kashtakari Panchayat. “But
these shops are shut in the ongoing
lockdown. The salary from the
government is also most likely going to
be delayed, which has made their income
highly uncertain." So far, the organization
has raised INR 8.5 lakhs out of a target of
INR 2.5 crore over the past few weeks.
Seeds The not-for-profit organisation is reaching Pan India Contact
out to vulnerable communities in the Person:
states of Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Sidarth Shara
Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttarakhand. In Contact
these regions, besides supporting the Number: 9136
elderly and children, SEEDS is taking 001392
some burden off frontline health workers Email: ssharm
by supplementing public health systems, a@seedsindia.
supplying hygiene kits and supporting the org
establishment of temporary quarantine
facilities.
Humane The Good Deeds Network aligns itself Karnataka Contact

Universal behind Education and Empowerment, Number:
Good Deeds Hunger management and Environment 9740015492
Network related issues. Link
Akshaya The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO Karnataka Link

Patra in India headquartered in Bengaluru. The
Foundation organisation strives to eliminate
classroom hunger by implementing the
Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the government
schools and government-aided schools.
Alongside, Akshaya Patra also aims at
countering malnutrition and supporting
the right to education of socio-
economically disadvantaged children.
Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest (not-
for-profit run) Mid-Day Meal Programme
serving wholesome food every school day
to over 1.8 million children from 19,039
schools across 12 states and 2 Union
territories of India.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation, in close

coordination with State Governments
and District Administration, has stepped
in to provide relief by providing food to
thousands of people across the country.
Since the COVID-19 crisis, The Akshaya

Patra Foundation, in close coordination
with State Governments and District
Administration, has stepped in to provide
relief by providing food to thousands of
people across the country. By adhering to
all safety and hygiene measures, Akshaya
Patra has begun its relief service by
providing meal or dry ration support to
people in Rajasthan, Gujarat, NCR, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana,
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Till date 7,95,614 cooked meals have
been served and 5,104 grocery kits have
been delivered.
Rise Against Under the current circumstances, the Bengaluru Contact

Hunger lowest strata of the society, comprising of Number:
(RAHI) daily wage workers, construction 8025426948
workers, contract Labourers, street (Office)
vendors have been the worst hit. These 9108403329
groups have lost the only source of their (Mobile)
income and have no means to make ends Link
meet or provide food for their families.
Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI) has
stepped in to support such groups in the
time of this emergency by providing them
with meals and other essential support.
Our partners have been sending us SOS

requests to support them during this
unprecedented crisis. With the uncertainty
around when economic activities might
be back to normal, we are working round
the clock with our field teams and NGO
partners to serve such vulnerable groups.
Within 5 days of our launching this
initiative, we have served nearly 200,000
meals to 22,500 people. Looking at the
needs, we are now getting ready to
organize 2 million or even more meals.
Humanity In India, Humanity First is helping the Kerala, Contact

First needy and underprivileged in several Karnataka, Person: Shame
parts of the country. So, far, their team Telangana, em Ahmad
has helped with donating grocery items, AP, Tamil General
masks, sanitizers, gloves and drinking Nadu, Secretary
water etc. Himachal Contact
Pradesh, Number: 9988
Coimbatore, 991775
Orissa, Email: humanit
Kolkata, yfirstind@gma
Delhi, il.com
Punjab, Contact
Gujarat, UP Person: Syed
and Sohail Ahmad
Kashmir. (Delhi NCR)
Email: humanit
yfirstdelhincr
@gmail.com
Habitat for Habitat for Humanity India is supporting Delhi NCT, Contact
Humanity families and individuals living in Karnataka, Person:
India vulnerable conditions with no safety net Kerala, Justin
by providing them with essential goods Maharashtra Jebakumar
and hygiene items. While housing is at , Tamil Director–
the heart of everything we do, Habitat for Nadu, West Government
Humanity India has been sensitising and Bengal Relations
raising awareness on the importance of Contact
hygiene and sanitation through our Number: +91-
WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) 11-2374
program 3493/94/95
Oxfam India Since March’20, Oxfam India has been Delhi, Contact
responding in 14 states with food, Maharashtra Person:Laressa
personal protective equipment (PPE), , Karnataka, A. Gomez
sanitation kits and awareness initiatives to Tamil Programme
support the efforts of the Indian Nadu, Coordinator -
Government and help the most Kerala, Humanitarian
marginalised and vulnerable Gujarat, Communicatio
communities. Telangana, ns
The response focuses on Capacity Bihar, Uttar Email: laressa
Development of local stakeholders, Food Pradesh, @oxfamindia.
Security and Water, Sanitation and Assam, org
Hygiene (WASH), to ensure the Right to Jharkhand,
Survival for those worst affected – Chhattisgar
migrant workers, stranded daily wage h, Odisha
earners, agricultural workers and other and West
vulnerable groups, including women and Bengal
girls.
Nexharvest Nexharvest believes in the power of Pan India Contact

Sheherikaran defining culture. Corona is a virus. Person: Debas
Gram Currently, it does not have any medicine ish Roy
Utthaan or vaccine. Poor people who are forced to Chairman
Forum interact with many other people on a daily Email: asish.r
basis for eking out a living are afraid of oy@smartcitie
dying from the Corona virus. However, it snext.com
has been observed in China that the LINK
Corona virus settles in the phlegm of the
patient first in the throat, then in the nasal
cavity, followed by the sinuses and then
spreading to the lungs. Nexharvest
believes that every pandemic can be
combated by a healthy culture. At every
stage, the virus becomes more and more
entrenched into the human body. The way
to survival is to not allow the virus to
settle down in the throat. Nexharvest has
conducted many concalls with farmers
and industry workers in Bengal and in
Delhi in training them to drink hot liquids
and raw immunity boosting foods.
Nexharvest regularly listens to petrified
farmers and labourers on the phone and
tells them that it is not the end of the
world; that they can still remain healthy
and happy so that they can wait for the
crisis to tide over. Nexharvest also
connects farmers and labourers together
who hold 2G phones and are not able to
find out who is in need and who can
supply to ones in need near their locality.
Currently, for the Corona crisis,
Nexharvest's strong point is counselling.
Other than the period of the Corona crisis,
Nexharvest works closely with the
government in comprehensive town
planning, execution of healthy and smart
habitation zones, maintenance of airflow
corridors to avert pollution and eco-
systems to maintain fresh water flow in
urban and rural areas.
Karnataka Opens Relief Centres Under Lockdown For Migrant
Labourers, Vulnerable Groups
A migrant with his belongings travels in a tempo as he leaves the city after authorities
announced one week lockdown due to surge in Covid-19 cases
The Karnataka government has decided to open relief centres in districts where the lockdown
has been announced for the sake of migrant labourers and vulnerable groups and to run
Shramik trains after the lockdown period is over.
It has also decided to keep open one mustering centre namely Tripuravasini, Palace Grounds
at Bengaluru during the lockdown period, and all those migrant workers who wish to go back
to their home states through Shramik trains will be accommodated there and they will be
provided with food, water and sanitation facilities as well as accommodation.
Once the lockdown period is over steps will be taken for transportation of all migrant workers
to their respective home states through Shramik trains, a circular dated July 15, issued by
Principal Secretary Revenue department, N Manjunatha Prasad, who is also the nodal officer
on migrant issues, said.
According to the circular, in Bengaluru, the Labour department and the Bruhath Bengaluru
Mahanagara Palike will be jointly supplying the cooked food as well as dry ration after
clearly identifying migrant workers and other vulnerable sections during the new lockdown.
In case of districts where the lockdown is announced, concerned Deputy Commissioners

along with the officials of the district administration will take measures for identification and
distribution of relief materials for the migrant's workers and other vulnerable sections, it said.
The district administrations will also open relief shelters for such people and provide them
with medical care. Wherever there is a requirement, dry ration kits will also be supplied in
coordination with NGOs.
Listing out various measures to be taken for the benefit of migrant workers and other
vulnerable sections, the circular said, the administration is also directed to make provision for
installation of TV along with cable connection for the entertainment of the inmates of the
shelter homes.
However, social distancing norms shall be strictly complied with. Bengaluru urban and rural
areas are currently under "complete lockdown" from 8 pm of July 14 and it will be effective
till 5 am on July 22.
Following Bengaluru, administrations in several other districts like Dharwad, Dakshina
Kannada, Kalaburagi (only in urban areas), Bidar, Raichur (in Raichur city and Sindhanur)
and Yadgir too have announced a lockdown.
DASOHA – FOOD & GROCERY HELPLINE FOR MIGRANT
WORKERS IN KARNATAKA
The migrant population has been hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown. Neither can they go
back to their villages and earn their livelihoods. According to the United Nations, hunger is
emerging as a crisis for many countries including India.
Recognizing this, the Labour department of the Karnataka Government started a massive
food program known as Dasoha.
 The program offers dry ration as well as cooked food for migrants all over the state.
 Dasoha has provided over 10 lakhs homeless and stranded migrant Labourers with
food over the last 7 years.
 The government is acting as an enabler in this program. While the labour department
meets the food cost for some providers, others offer it freely without any cost to the
migrants.
REACHING OUT TO DASOHA
A 24×7 helpline is being managed by Bengaluru-based Vindhya e-Info media. Anyone

needing help can reach out to the helpline by calling 155214. This helpline is being managed
by around 10,000 volunteers. Where initially they were managing 30,000 meals per day,
within a week, the number has grown to 1.8 lakh meals per day.
Citizens calling the helpline will be directed either to the closest food center or dry rations
and cooked food will be sent to a location nearby. The helpline uses backend technology
tools developed by apps like Swiggy to deliver cooked food.
Food Relief Camp During COVID-19
Intra and interstate migration is not something new but in light of the COVID-19 breakout, it
has become a serious issue. On the 31st of March, the number of migrants in Karnataka stood
at 25,433.
By April 4th, the number of migrants identified and housed in Karnataka reached 1.2 lakhs.
Why is Rising Migrant Numbers is a Major Challenge?
The rising number of migrants is a challenge as the government must now find shelter and
food for them. Many migrants are being accommodated by their employers.
 9,254 of these migrants are currently staying in 201 relief camps.
 193 of these camps are being run by the government while 8 are run by NGOs.
 Karnataka has 536 food camps being run by the government and 173 NGO-run food
camps.
 These camps provide food for 3.4 lakh and 1 lakh beneficiaries respectively.
Of these camps, 330 government-run food camps and 149 NGO-run food camps are located
in Bengaluru.
Food Relief Camps in Karnataka:
 Government- Run: 536
 Beneficiaries: 3.4 Lakh
 NGO-Run Food Camp: 173
 Beneficiaries: 1 Lakh
Helpline Numbers For Non–Cooked Food:
Dry rations will be distributed by Joint Commissioners across the city. Labourers can reach
out to them by calling the below numbers.
 Joint Commissioner (West): +91-80-23463366
 Joint Commissioner (East): +91-80-22975803
 Joint Commissioner (South): +91-8026566362
 Joint Commissioner (Bommanahalli): +91-8025735642/ 2447
 Joint Commissioner (R.R. Nagar): +91-8028600954/ 1851
 Joint Commissioner (Dasarahalli): +91-8028394909/ 3688
 Joint Commissioner (Mahadevapura): +91-8028512300/1
 Joint Commissioner (Yelahanka): +91-8023636671/ 22975936
“Dasoha is aimed at ensuring that everyone covered by the scheme never has to
go to bed without food during this lockdown’’.
CHAPTER – 4
FINDINGS AND
SUGGESTIONS
CHAPTER – 4
FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS
FINDINGS
Issues faced by Migrant workers during lockdown in Karnataka
Lack of portability of benefits
Migrants registered to claim access to benefits at one location lose access upon migration to a

different location. This is especially true of access to rights under the PDS. Ration card
required to access benefits under the PDS is issued by state governments and is not
transferrable across states. This system excludes inter-state migrants from the PDS unless
they surrender their card from the home state and get a new one from the host state.
Lack of affordable housing and basic facilities in urban areas
The proportion of migrants in urban population is 47%. In 2015, the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs identified migrants in urban areas as the largest population needing housing in
cities. There is insufficient supply of low-income ownership and rental housing options.
This leads to the spread of informal settlements and slums. The Prime Minister Awaas
Yojana (PMAY) is a central government scheme to help the economically weaker section and
low-income group access housing. Support under the scheme includes:
 Slum rehabilitation,
 Subsidised credit for home loans
 Subsidies up to Rs 1.5 lakh to either construct a new house or enhance existing
houses on their own and
 Increasing availability of affordable housing units in partnership with the private
sector. Since housing is a state subject, there is variation in approach of States
towards affordable housing.
Challenges and Future Strategy:

There is a huge uncertainty about how long this crisis will last and what damage it would do
to the economy, livelihood of people and availability of basic healthcare services. Given its
size and spread, management of migrants under lockdown represents a massive logistic
challenge. Some of these challenges need to be addressed instantly and some are the long
term:
1. The instant challenges are related to stranded migrants:
i) How to provide food and basic amenities at camps/shelters by maintaining better

hygiene and sanitation to all of them (soap/ water/ toilet/ waste management)?
ii) How to provide basic health care and preventive kits (like mask, sanitisers, and gloves
etc.)?
iii) How to quick appraise their conditions and do the screening of the possibly infected
persons and quarantine them separately?
iv) How to maintain the social distancing for the migrants to check the spread of
infection?
v) How to provide counselling and psychological support to the migrants under the
distress?
2. There is an urgent need for the development of authentic database for the stuck migrants
at destination, in highway camps and return migrants in
villages. Data on volume and characteristics of the migrants (in camps, home
quarantine) is needed to transfer the benefits of social welfare schemes at present and
for future management needs.
3. During and post-lockdown period, how to provide the basic income support to migrants
and their left behind families who are not registered to the social schemes and depend on
daily wages for survival?
4. With severe disturbance, the question arises, whether reverse migrants will come back
to work in towns or stay in their villages. If they don’t return, how to deal with likely
economic stress in destination areas. In the origin villages, where resources are scares
and opportunities are limited, how state government should meet the expectations of the
people.
Conduct Towards Migrant workers
 Migrant workers who decided to stay back during the exodus faced attack from their
neighbours, who accused them of being infected with coronavirus. They thus could
not venture out to buy food. Many also faced police brutality if they ventured out of
their homes.
 Upon their return to their hometowns and villages, they were treated with either fear
or a "class bias", being washed down with sanitizers or soap solution in some cases.
 They were feared to be carrying coronavirus from the urban areas where they had
been employed. They faced criticized and harassment from the people of their
hometowns.
 Since many of them belonged to the lower castes, they had to face caste
disgraces. Thousands got into property disputes.
 Migrants travelling by Shramik Special trains reported that food and water provisions
were either not provided or simply dumped at the entrances of the trains, leaving
workers fighting with each other to get their share. Passengers then quickly filled their
water bottles at the railway stations that the trains stopped at.
 Many migrant workers expressed a fear of returning to their old jobs in the cities, after
facing unemployment during the lockdown. Companies reported labour shortages
from mid-April. Estimates state that this would last for at least another six months.
"In the cities they treat us like stray dogs. Why would they treat us any better now?"
— A migrant worker describing the treatment he received on a "Shramik Special" train.

REACTION OF MIGRANTS WORKERS
 Thousands of migrants have since protested across the country, for reasons ranging
from demanding transport back home, quality of food served, not being allowed to
cross the border, and against government directives preventing them to walk
home. Some of the protests turned violent.
 Labour unions organised nationwide protests to protest the changes in labour laws,
with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh organizing one on 20th May and the Centre of
Indian Trade Unions and the All India Trade Union Congress organizing another on
22nd May. Seven left parties wrote to the President to interfere in the issue.
 Ten labour unions wrote to the International Labour Organization (ILO) regarding the
labour laws, on 14th May. In response, the ILO expressed "deep concern" to PM Modi
and requested him to instruct the central and state governments to uphold
commitments (towards labour laws) made by India.
 Negative comparisons have been made between the situation of many domestic
migrants and Indians abroad: Shekhar Gupta criticized the media and Modi for
focusing on the Vande Bharat Mission and thus the more wealthy at the expense of
the working class.
 Some politicians criticised the central government for not focusing enough on migrant
workers. NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, admitted that the migrant workers could
have been better taken care of and stated that it was the responsibility of the state
governments.
 Economist Jean Drèze stated that the lockdown had been "almost a death sentence"
for the underprivileged of the country, further stating, "The policies are made or
influenced by a class of people who pay little attention to the consequences for the
underprivileged"
DEATHS
Due to the lockdown, more than 300 deaths were reported till 5 May, with reasons ranging
from starvation, suicides, exhaustion, road and rail accidents, police brutality and denial of
timely medical care. Among the reported deaths, most were among the marginalised migrants
and labourers. 80 died while travelling back home on the Shramik Special trains, in the one
month since their launch.
"The rich will get all the help, getting rescued and brought home in planes from abroad. But we
poor migrant labourers have been left to protect for ourselves. That is the worth of our lives."
— A weeping migrant worker stuck in Karnataka, who could not see his dying son in Bidar.
SUGGESTIONS:
As Karnataka has started to relax the lockdown restrictions, some of the migrant population
has started going back to the places they work. Proper monitoring over the migration status is
needed. Going forward, the government should keep a few points in mind while undertaking
migrant or helpless populations while facing such pandemic.
 The first thing to consider is not to have the official approach but to use the
humanitarian approach which is based on the view that all human beings deserve
respect and dignity and should be treated as such. The government failed miserably
in implementing this when the news of sanitizer spraying on migrant workers was
making headlines across the media channels. It was an inhumane act that
compromised the notion of equality in the social land.
 Secondly, state and central authorities should ensure that returnees do not face the
stigma and discrimination because of their migration status and prevent labelling
them as ‘carriers’ of the disease. This should be considered as an important step to
avoid the feeling of ‘not belonging’.
 This pandemic has extracted mistakes which should not be repeated in the future.
Building a fair and effective labour governance system for the workers is an urgent
need of the hour.
 The government should also provide them with proper communication and
counselling for their job search in their respective areas and skill set after their return
to home or workplace. Not to forget continuous health care facilities with affordable
cost and quality of care to be provided to the migrant workers and their families.
 To bring back the economy on track using Atma Nirbhar Bharat Approach of
Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is also mandatory to take measures to
address the inequality issue and to ensure the dignity of migrant workers. This can be
achieved with a set of changes in the policy reforms and legal frameworks that can be
drawn from the global standards.
 The twisting and mixing of Indian migrant economy by COVID-19 pandemic due to
lockdown measures has exposed the major gaps in the economy and development of
the country.
Hence, I think strategic and planned policy changes in the healthcare system, labour
law, and upholding the social factors among this pandemic can help us win this
COVID-19 battle on all fronts.
CHAPTER – 5
LEARNING AND
CONCLUSION
LEARNINGS
Based on the research, I was given a chance to learn that, the spread of Corona virus from the
epicentre of Wuhan in China to worldwide is attributed to migration and mobility of people.
On the other hand, the medical professionals largely believe that the control of this infectious
disease is possible through immovability and quarantine like lockdown and social distancing.
In a globalised world, the lockdown is likely to bring extraordinary breakdown of our
economic and social system. Migrants are most helpless to urban disasters and epidemics.
 The first case of COVID-19 surfaced in India on January 30, 2020, and following the
out-break the lock down in the entire country was announced on 24 th March for a
period of 21days.
 Borders were sealed, transportation got stopped, factories, shops, restaurants and all
type of the economic activities were shut, barring only the essential services.
 This proved to be a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, who

lost their livelihoods overnight and became homeless. The immediate challenges
faced by these migrant workers were related to food, shelter, loss of wages, fear of
getting infected and nervousness.
 As a result, thousands of them started flying from various cities to their native places.
Many migrants lost their lives either due to hardship on the way, hunger, accident or
comorbidity and some even committed suicide.
 A telephonic survey of more than 3000 migrants from north central India by Jan
Sahas (2020) shows that majority of the workers were the daily wage earners and at
the time of lockdown, 42% were left with no ration, one third was stuck at
destinations city with no access to food, water and money, 94% don’t have worker’s
identity card.
 Sudden lockdown also 4 stranded many migrants in different cities of the country.
Those who were travelling were stuck up at stations or state or district borders.
 Many were forced to walk hundreds of miles on foot to reach their home villages
finding no public transport. Those who reached their native villages, were seen as
potential carriers of the infection and were ill-treated by the police and locals.
In one of the instances a group of returnees were sprayed with chemicals to disinfect them
for which the local administration apologized. This is one of the biggest streams of mass
return migration in the country. The very effort to stave off the pandemic turned into one of
greatest human tragedy in India’s recent history.
CONCLUSION
As a research as demonstrated, In India, most of the lowest paying jobs are in sectors like
construction, hospitality, textiles, and domestic workers. 90% of the workforce comprises the
informal or ‘unorganised’ sector of the economy, and migrant workers are a big part of it.
According to the World Bank, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, India’s 40
million migrant workers are facing the major brunt of the situation.
 This pandemic has created major issues like starvation, being stranded away from the
family, and loss of jobs which in turn will increase the risk of modern slavery a
thousand- fold.
 First, there will be an increased risk of enslavement due to the increased supply of
workers who are at risk of exploitation.
 Second, not to forget the disruption of education due to COVID-19, most of the
children will be forced out of school to make a living to sustain their families.
 A huge number of children will be trafficked across borders where they will get paid
a meagre salary and might also suffer physical, emotional, and sexual violence.
 Not only are the migrants at high risk of the above issues due to the COVID-19
pandemic but also are victims of social discrimination.
 The government took into consideration the plight of migrant workers after a delay of
a month and a half.
 It clearly shows that the government failed to incorporate strategies to moderate the
impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the migrant population at the very beginning of
the lockdown.
 Not only the late response has created destruction amongst the migrants, but also a
flow in COVID-19 cases has been seen just after the initiative was implemented.
 Finally, migrant workers live in slums where social distancing is compromised, and
access to masks and sanitiser is a luxury, which in turn puts them at more risk of
COVID-19. The unfortunate reality is that their situation does not only put this group
at COVID-19 risk but also at the next big ‘HUNGER PANDEMIC’.
 The Inter-State Migrant Workers Act, 1979 suffers from difficulty in implementation
as it requires government officials to maintain detailed records and verify all
documents submitted, while imposing a duty on employers to provide facilities that
they wouldn’t have to provide to non-migrant laborers.
 So, to ensure a long-term plan, there needs to be significant improvements to the Act
whereby it includes even migrants who are self-employed and keeps in mind the
capacity of the state to enforce its idealistic provisions.
The last pandemic that similarly shook the country was the Spanish Flu of 1919, but the
country was under foreign rule then and the period was marked by a significant
marginalization of vulnerable groups and consideration only for British employees. Now, in
this age of independence, India has the chance to act differently and be sensitive to the health
and safety of migrant workers to prove that it is indeed a welfare state. Bringing
constitutional activities to life with the PDS, MGNREGA and cash transfers is a good start
but to truly bring about a long-term change, the government should ensure that migrant
workers are integrated into the broader state level and national level policies where their
voices are heard and their suffering lightened.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://criticaledges.com/2020/07/12/covid-19-on-Indian-migrant-workers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_migrant_workers_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic
https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/awareness/understanding-impact-of-lockdown-on-
migrants-in-india-21669
https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-opens-relief-centres-under-lockdown-for-
migrant-labourers-vulnerable-groups-862495.html
MBA Dissertation
1ST Progress Report
Sl. No PARTICULARS
1 Name of the Student RAKSHITHA T
2 Registration Number MB191321
3 Name of College Guide DR. MAHESH KUMAR K R
4 Name and contact no of the Co- ---

Guide/External Guide (Corporate)
5 Title of the Dissertation A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON
MIGRANTS WORKERS IN KARNATAKA
6 Brief note on Introduction of the Karnataka migrant workers during the

Topic (100 words) COVID-19 pandemic have faced multiple
hardships. With factories and workplaces
shut down due to the lockdown imposed in
the country, millions of migrant workers had
to deal with the loss of income, food
shortages and uncertainty about their future.
Following this, many of them and their
families went hungry. Thousands of them
then began walking back home, with no
means of transport due to the lockdown.
Hence, this study tries to find out the
impacts and problems faced by the migrants
during lockdown and what are measures and
polices taken up by the Government to help
the migrant workers.
7 Progress report: A brief note  Regular discussion was done with

reflecting, Number of meeting with guide.
Guides, places visited, libraries  Synopsis prepared and submitted as
visited, books referred, meeting per the guidance of Bangalore city
with persons, activities taken up, university.
preparations done for collection and  Referred journals and research
analysis of data etc.,) papers to understand the topic.
 Completed First chapter
Introduction.
 Completed second chapter research
methodology
 Collected information through
websites, Magazines and Research
papers.
DATE: 21st September 2020
Signature of the Candidate Signature of the College Guide

(RAKSHITHA T) (DR. MAHESH KUMAR K R)
MBA Dissertation
2nd Progress Report
Sl. No PARTICULARS
1 Name of the Student RAKSHITHA T
2 Registration Number MB191321
3 Name of College Guide DR. MAHESH KUMAR K R

4 Name and contact no of the Co- ---
Guide/External Guide (Corporate)
5 Title of the Dissertation A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON
MIGRANTS WORKERS IN KARNATAKA
6 Brief note on Introduction of the Karnataka migrant workers during the
Topic (100 words) COVID-19 pandemic have faced multiple
hardships. With factories and workplaces
shut down due to the lockdown imposed in
the country, millions of migrant workers had
to deal with the loss of income, food
shortages and uncertainty about their future.
Following this, many of them and their
families went hungry.
7 Progress report: A brief note  Regular discussion was done with

reflecting, Number of meeting with guide.
Guides, places visited, libraries  Synopsis prepared and submitted as
visited, books referred, meeting per the guidance of Bangalore city
with persons, activities taken up, university.
preparations done for collection and  Referred journals and research
analysis of data etc.,) papers to understand the topic.
 Completed 3rd ,4th and 5th Chapter
 Collected information through
websites, Magazines and Research
papers.
DATE: 12th October 2020
Signature of the Candidate Signature of the College Guide

(RAKSHITHA T) (DR. MAHESH KUMAR K R)
WORK DONE DIARY
WEEK DATES WORK CARRIED OUT SIGNATURE OF

FACULTY GUIDE
I 10-09-2020 Submitted Synopsis
II 21-09-2020 Submitted 1st Progress Report

and started with Introduction
to the study
III 05-10-2020 Submitted 2nd Progress Report

and started with Data
Comparison and Analysis
VI 05-01-2021 Submitted Project for Final

Approval

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PROJECT REPORT

A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON MIGRANTS WORKERS

Under the guidance of

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

DECLARATION BY THE STUDENT

I hereby declare that “A STUDY ON IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON MIGRANTS

Place: BANGALORE Name: RAKSHITHA T

Date: Register Number: MB191321

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

I, RAKSHITHA T express my sincere thanks to Dr. MAHESH KUMAR K. R

My sincere gratitude to Dr. MAHESH KUMAR K. R (DIRECTOR), Community Institute

Place: Bangalore RAKSHITHA T

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

SL.NO TOPICS PAGE.NO

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE PROJECT 2-5

1.2 CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS 5-7

1.6 STATUS OF MIGRATION IN INDIA 12-14

1.7 REASONS FOR MIGRATION IN KARNATAKA 15

1.8 CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN EFFECTS 16-17

1.9 MIGRANT WORKERS DATA 18-20

2.1 INTRODUCTION TO STUDY 22

2.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY 23

2.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 23

2.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 24

2.5 SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION 24

2.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY. 24

3 DATA COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS 25

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

3.1 MIGRANTS WORKERS IN KARNATAKA 26-27

3.2 TRAINS TO TAKE MIGRANTS TO HOME 28

3.3 PROBLEMS FACED BY MIGRANTS WORKERS 29-36

3.5 DIRECTIONS BY THE SUPREME COURT 39

3.6 CELEBRITIES WHO CAME FORWARD TO HELP 40-42

3.8 KARNATAKA OPENS RELIEF CENTRES UNDER 50-51

4 FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS 55

4.1 FINDINGS 56-60

5 LEARNING AND CONCLUSION 62

5.2 CONCLUSION 64-65

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

COMMUNITY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Table 1: State-wise distribution of Migrant Labour

Area/State Persons Males Females

Constitutional And Legislative Provisions For Migrants

Evolution Of Labour Legislations In India And Its Neglect Of Migrants

Constitutional Provision Of A ‘Welfare State’ And Its Application To Migrant Workers

The Inter-state Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act,

Who are Migrants?

Problems That Migrant Workers Face With The Lockdown

Legislative Protection Offered To Inter-State Migrant

Migrant Workers In India- Major Sectors

‘Pull’ and ‘Push’ Factors

Census Total Internal Internal International International Total

1981 659.3 200.5 30.4 6.0 0.9 31.3

1991 814.3 220.7 27.1 5.9 0.7 27.8

2001 1028.6 309.3 30.0 5.1 0.4 30.4

2011 1210.8 453.6 NA 11.4 NA 37.4

NA: Not Available

Table 01: Below Gives Data On Specific Reasons For Migration.

REASONS FOR MIGRATION

Rural Urban Total

Chief Labor Commissioner (Central)