Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged migrant workers from West Bengal to return home and announced the launch of the ‘Shramshree’ scheme, under which each returning worker will receive ₹5,000 per month as temporary assistance until they secure employment. Barely a day later, on Tuesday, Raj Bhavan sources confirmed that Governor CV Ananda Bose sent a detailed report to the Union Home Ministry in Delhi, recommending a 16-point framework for the welfare of migrant workers.
In addition to submitting the report, Bose held a meeting with Haryana Governor Asim Kumar Ghosh at Raj Bhavan. The two leaders discussed the challenges faced by migrant labourers from Bengal in other states.
Sources at Raj Bhavan said, "The Governor also discussed the need to promote and spread Bengali language and culture across the country, so that understanding and harmony are developed between migrant workers and local people. All in all, it was a thoughtful meeting."
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The recommendations laid out by Bose seek to address the socio-economic vulnerabilities of migrant workers and ensure their access to welfare benefits across India. Among the proposals is the creation of a West Bengal Migrant Workers Registration Portal, a multilingual, Aadhaar-linked platform where workers’ skill profiles would be recorded. Once registered, workers would be issued a special digital Migrant Workers Card, which would serve as a portable identity document, enabling them to access healthcare, insurance and banking services for wage deposits anywhere in the country.
The report also emphasise the need for formal agreements with key destination states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi, to ensure proper enforcement of minimum wages, workplace safety standards and quick redressal of grievances. “To strengthen support on the ground, the Governor has proposed appointing Labour Welfare Officers in major hubs such as Kochi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi, who would assist distressed workers, mediate disputes and liaise with local authorities,” said an official at Raj Bhavan.
He added that another major recommendation is the creation of affordable hostels for migrant workers, run through public-private partnerships, providing clean and safe accommodation with basic amenities. “The Governor has also suggested replacing the existing ‘One Family One Ration Card’ system with a ‘One Citizen One Ration Card’, which would allow workers to access subsidised food grains from any ration shop in the country,” the officer said.
To further safeguard migrant labourers, the report calls for a 24x7 multilingual helpline for complaints related to wage theft, abuse or contractual disputes, along with free legal aid and mediation services in partnership with NGOs and legal aid groups in destination states. The report has also mentioned about regulating and monitoring placement agencies, particularly those hiring women for domestic work, with provisions for regular inspections and blacklisting of exploitative agencies.
According to Raj Bhavan officials, the remaining recommendations cover aspects of social security, awareness campaigns and interstate cooperation, all designed to provide comprehensive protection and dignity to migrant workers.
With the state government rolling out its financial support scheme and the Governor submitting a wide-ranging policy framework, migrant workers from Bengal are now at the centre of a renewed push for welfare and security both at the state and national level.
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