Want to know all about migrant workers in Karnataka? The sectors they are working in? Their wages and which states are they coming from? Here is everything you should know about migrant workers in Karnataka.
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.
| Sector | Rural | Urban | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female Percentage | Male Percentage | Female Percentage | Male Percentage |
| Primary | 75 | 4 | 65 | 20 |
| Manufacturing | 59 | 13 | 51 | 38 |
| Public services | 69 | 16 | 56 | 40 |
| Construction | 73 | 8 | 67 | 32 |
| Traditional services | 65 | 10 | 55 | 29 |
| Modern services | 66 | 16 | 52 | 40 |
| Total | 73 | 6 | 56 | 33 |
Migrant 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, approximately 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.
| Destination State | Registered Migrants |
|---|---|
| Bihar | 142,596 |
| UP | 114,929 |
| Jharkhand | 55,027 |
| Odisha | 47,514 |
| Rajasthan | 38,849 |
| Rest of India | 196,406 |
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 laborers work in masonry, painting, kitchens and housekeeping.
Trains To Take Migrants Home
The state is organizing special trains 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.
| Destination | Migrants Traveling |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 32,132 |
| Bihar | 29,038 |
| Jharkhand | 15,081 |
| Odisha | 6,701 |
| Rajasthan | 38,849 |
| Rest of India | 196,406 |
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.
| No. Of Special Trains | Source Station | Destination | No. Of Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hubbali | Jodhpur | 1,361 |
| 2 | Chikka Bannavara | Muzaffarpur | 1,550 |
| 3 | Chikka Bannavara | Gorakhpur | 1,520 |
| 4 | Chikka Bannavara | Gorakhpur | 1,440 |
| 5 | Malur | Katihar | 1,462 |
| 6 | Chikka Bannavara | Manipur | 1,450 |
| 7 | Chikka Bannavara | Udhampur | 1,280 |
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. Laborers will be provided with free food at camps to encourage them to stay back. The state worries that if the migrant laborer 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.