Chennai- While poll-bound Bihar is grappling with the exclusion of over lakhs of migrant workers from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Tamil Nadu has emerged as a model state in documenting its inter-state migrant (ISM) workforce. According to official data, Tamil Nadu has registered over 12.17 lakh guest workers employed across various sectors. Of these, more than 2.51 lakh workers hail from Bihar, making them the second-largest ISM group in the state, next only to Odisha, which accounts for 2.89 lakh workers.

The state’s pioneering initiative to map and monitor migrant workers began in early 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tamil Nadu government launched a dedicated web portal, urging ISMs, their employers, and district authorities to register the workforce. The initiative aims to facilitate the delivery of welfare schemes under the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Act, 1996, and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. A senior government official noted a significant surge in registration over the past six months. “We enrolled nearly three lakh workers recently through online registration and targeted drives at work sites.

The total registrations jumped from around nine lakh to over 12 lakh in just four months,” the official said. However, he acknowledged that reaching workers in small shops, plantations, and independent units remains a major challenge. Experts believe that the registered number reflects less than 25 per cent of the actual ISM population in the state, where migrants are drawn by steady employment and relatively better living conditions.

According to government data as of July 31, workers from northern and northeastern states comprise 9.28 lakh of the total ISMs in Tamil Nadu. Besides Odisha and Bihar, significant numbers come from Jharkhand (1.95 lakh), West Bengal (1.91 lakh), Assam (93,175), and Uttar Pradesh (91,497). The top employment sectors for ISMs in Tamil Nadu are manufacturing, construction, and textiles, accounting for over 80 per cent of the jobs. Notably, 26,106 workers registered as self-employed, and 41,723 are employed in catering establishments. Among districts, Tirupur leads with 1.22 lakh ISM workers in the textile and garment sector and 72,463 in manufacturing. Kancheepuram follows with 1.61 lakh workers, driven by its construction and industrial projects. Coimbatore and Chennai have 1.32 lakh and 1.29 lakh ISM workers, respectively. (IANS)