States roped in to provide safety net for overseas workers

NEW DELHI: The Centre is roping in states to set up Migrant Resource Centres to provide a safety net to overseas workers and put an end to job seekers going abroad illegally. After establishing one such centre for potential migrants in Punjab in May this year the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), as part of an MoU agreement with Kerala government, is establishing the second Migrant Resource Centre in the country in Cochin on September 1.

The move is aimed at countering problems of illegal migration, disseminating information about migration rules, registering complaints against unscrupulous agents or middlemen, looking into overseas employers not honouring commitments and also redressing grievances of NRIs.

With more than 5.5 million Indian workers abroad and migration of more than 8.5 lakh workers annually from the country, the central government has sought assistance from state governments through the five-point MoU agreement for protection of workers and dealing with any organised migration racket prevailing in the states.

The ten states which see heavy emigration -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Gujarat -- are expected to establish these centres by the end of this year with funding and technical assistance from the central government.