PANJIM: Goa People’s Voices COVID-19 Response, an umbrella organization of individuals and groups involved with relief work of migrant workers, has urged the government for immediate and systematic State intervention to alleviate the impact on these work force, who are stranded in Goa, on account of the COVID-19 lockdown. In a letter to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Minister for Labour Jennifer Monserrate, the organization has alleged that the workers, including migrant workers, have suffered grave abuse and humiliation at the hands of the State administration and the lockdown, imposed in the manner in which it was, rather than stalling the pandemic, in the absence of adequate medical protocols, has turned it into a humanitarian crisis. Further, it has also alleged that many are not provided with food and other basic facilities yet by the State, while several have not been paid salaries or wages by their contractors and that there is an imminent fear of eviction for many workers who stay on rented premises, etc. As such, the organization has demanded that the government should immediately take steps to provide adequate ration to all the workers, registered, non- registered and migrants. It has also demanded to urge Central government to disburse PDS rations for three to six months as an emergency measure given the excess of food stock in India. They pointed out that the State must provide ration even to those workers who do not have ration cards as directed for consideration of the State by the Supreme Court. It has asked the government to put in place a mechanism to ensure that the payment of wages to the workers by their contractors/employers, non-recovery of rent from workers, registered, non- registered and migrants; and to also ensure that action is taken against those who fail to pay wages or continue recovering rent and threaten eviction for non-payment of the same. The organisation has said that the government in association with the concerned State governments and all in-transit States should make a ‘green corridor transport plan’ to facilitate the return home of these migrants cum labour force. They also called for outreach efforts to enable the migrant workers to know if this option has to be carried out. The cost of the travel to home should be borne by the State Government or the employer. It has demanded that all migrant workers or unorganised workers should compulsorily have medical insurance or ESI and their medical check-up has to be done. Protection from sexual abuse and trafficking and scheme for universal basic income and universal basic services, also needs to be put in place, they added.
Demands to Govt
In a letter to the CM and Labour Minister the organization has alleged that in the absence of adequate medical protocols, the lockdown has turned into a humanitarian crisis. It alleges that many are not provided with food and other basic facilities yet by the State, while several have not been paid salaries or wages by their contractors
It further adds that there is an imminent fear of eviction for many workers who stay on rented premises, etc. As such, the organization has demanded that the government should immediately take steps to provide adequate ration to all the workers, registered, non- registered and migrants. It has also demanded to urge Central government to disburse PDS rations for three to six months as an emergency measure given the excess of food stock in India. They pointed out that the State must provide ration even to those workers who do not have ration cards as directed for consideration of the State by the Supreme Court. It calls for a mechanism to be put in place to ensure that the payment of wages to the workers by their contractors/employers, non-recovery of rent from workers, registered, non- registered and migrants. It has also demanded that the government takes action against those who fail to pay wages or continue recovering rent and threaten eviction for non-payment of the same. The organisation has said that the government in association with the concerned State governments and all in-transit States should make a ‘green corridor transport plan’ to facilitate the return home of these migrants cum labour force. They also called for outreach efforts to enable the migrant workers to know if this option has to be carried out. It has demanded that all migrant workers or unorganised workers should compulsorily have medical insurance or ESI and their medical check-up has to be done. Protection from sexual abuse and trafficking and scheme for universal basic income and universal basic services, also needs to be put in place, they added.
