Migrant labourer from West Bengal dies of starvation in Chennai

 Another migrant worker, Satya Pandit, undergoing treatment, is said to be critical, according to hospital sources.

SNS | Chennai | October 1, 2024 : Unable to find a job, a migrant labourer from West Bengal, who arrived here with his relatives, died of starvation after being admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) here on Monday night.

The deceased, Samar Khan, 36, hailing from Mangrul village in Chandrakona Block of West Mindnapur district, was found lying unconscious along with four others at the Central Railway Station and was taken to the hospital. Another migrant worker, Satya Pandit, undergoing treatment, is said to be critical, according to hospital sources.

Khan and 11 others from his village, all agricultural labourers, had llanded in Chennai on September 16 and left for Ponneri, north of Chennai, where they have been assured of work by a contractor for Rs 300 per day. But, after three days, they didn’t have any work and were left to languish as their search for work proved futile.

Since they did not have money either to buy food or to get tickets to return home, they stayed put at the Railway Station. Five of them fainted after three days and were admitted to the RGGGH, opposite the Railway Station. While two of them – Ganesh Midha and Asif Pandit – were discharged 13 days, as they were found dehydrated, not requiring dialysis.

Besides Khan, Satya Pandit and Manik Ghori were put on dialysis as they had renal injuries. Later, Manik Ghori too was discharged. The discharged trio is being kept at the Shelter run by the Greater Chennai Corporation.

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Miniter Getha Jeevan had said that she would do the needful for the stranded workers in association with the Labour Department. Meanwhile, Israel Jebasing, a former IAS officer who had had a stint in West Bengal, is coordinating the efforts to send the body of the deceased to his native village by air. He was at the RGGH along with the migrant workers.

Despite the rising inflow of migrant workers into the state, their registration with the Labour Department is very low. Of the nearly 70 lakh workers from other states, only 8 lakh have got registered with the authorities. Whether it is the Metro Rail tunneling work in Chennai or the hosiery units in Tirupur or the construction industry across the state, migrant workers are engaged in large numbers primarily because of cheap labour. But, they remain out of the government records and welfare schemes.