68 days, 1.06 crore workers and a pandemic
Tracing the journeys of workers and that of a country five years after it set out to count them and connect them to welfare schemes
March 24, 2020
First nationwide lockdown announced
First phase of three weeks of world’s strictest and ‘complete’ lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19 pandemic announced in India at 8pm.
Lockdown implemented from midnight.
Migrant workers begin returning home
With industries shut and public transport suspended, thousands of migrant workers found themselves out of work and, with no wages to afford their rents in cities. So they started walking home.
March 25, 2020 onwards
March 27, 2020
Jharkhand announces setting up of State Migrant Control Room
First of its kind initiative, aims to provide grievance redressal support and registration to social security benefits to returnee migrant workers. More than 5.3 lakh interstate migrants returned to Jharkhand during the lockdown.
March 28, 2020
Death of migrant workers in road accidents
17 migrant workers lost their lives within three days of the lockdown in road accidents while returning home, according to news reports.
- Three women and a child killed in a forest fire in Tamil Nadu's Theni district as they took the path to return home on the first day of lockdown
- Four migrant workers run over by a truck at Virar in Maharashtra on fourth day of lockdown
- A 26 year old migrant worker, who worked at a shoe factory, died in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh on the fourth day of lockdown.
Migrant workers face stigma
Outrage over migrant workers being sprayed with disinfectant in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, investigation launched.
March, 30, 2020
April 10, 2020
Second phase of lockdown announced
A 19-day extension of the lockdown with reduced restrictions on farming operation, essential industries, movement of cargo
April 14, 2020
April 15, 2020
Reverse international migration
Government led repatriation facilitated the return of nearly 61 lakh stranded Indians from abroad
March, 2020 to April, 2020
May 1, 2020
Shramik Special Trains started
Nearly 38 days after the national lockdown was announced,
Shramik Special Trains were started.
Till August, these trains facilitated 63.19 lakh migrant workers to reach their destination.
Third phase of lockdown announced
Lockdown extended for two more weeks, with some relaxations based on identification of districts as hot spots.
May 1, 2020
May 8, 2020
16 migrant workers die on train tracks
16 migrant labourers, trying to return to their home state Madhya Pradesh on foot, were mowed down by a freight train between Jalna and Aurangabad districts of Maharashtra. One was seriously injured, while three escaped. With most train services suspended, the workers decided to rest on the tracks for the night.
Karnataka withdraws train order
Following uproar from migrants and labour unions, Karnataka government withdrew its order stopping trains for migrants.
May 8, 2020
May 9, 2020
Migrant workers die in a truck overturn
At least five migrant workers died and 19 were injured as a truck they were travelling in overturned in Madhya Pradesh’s Narsinghpur.
Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan announced
The union government announced an economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore to assist the poor, labourers and migrants adversely affected by Covid-19.
May 12, 2020
May 16, 2020
Migrant workers die in a road accident
At least 27 migrant workers died when a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime and 43 people (mostly migrants) rammed into a stationary truck.
May 19, 2020
Migrant workers die in bus-truck collision
At least 9 migrant workers died in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district during a collision between a bus and a truck, with whose driver the workers had taken a lift to return home.
Police action on migrant workers
Several instances of migrant workers facing action by police in different states. A report by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) said at least 20 deaths (17 due to beating/caning by police) took place following police action during the lockdown period.
March 2020 to May, 2020
May 26, 2020
Supreme Court takes note
The apex court took suo motu cognisance of the ‘unfortunate and miserable conditions of migrant labourers walking on-foot and cycles from long distances’.
States to count migrant workers
States like Uttar Pradesh announced they will create a database of migrant workers to re-employ them locally. Later on, similar efforts were reported from states like Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Maharashtra and Bihar among others.
May 27, 2020
May, 2020 - June 2020
Businesses hit
As migrant workers headed home, business and industries were hit due to lack of workforce in destination cities
Launch of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan
The union government launched the scheme to provide livelihood opportunities in areas with high returnee migrants. It concluded with a total of 50.78 crore person-days employment, with an expenditure of Rs. 39,293 crore.
June 20, 2020
Fourth phase of the lockdown announced
Restrictions similar to Phase 1 applied in the more infected Red zones. Movement of vehicles allowed without any special conditions along with the opening of the industries.
May 17, 2020
June, 2020
Migrant workers killed in road accidents
198 migrant workers were killed during their commute back home over two months during the lockdown, according to a report by Save Life Foundation.
ASHA workers’ role in health screening of migrants
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers played a key role in health screening of migrant workers. In Uttar Pradesh for instance, the ASHA workers tracked 30.43 lakh migrant returnees, the government informed.
June 30, 2020
July 8, 2020
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Launch of the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) scheme
Scheme aimed to provide 83,534 flats to the urban poor and migrant workers. However, only 5,648 flats or 7% have been successfully transformed into rental housing after 3 years.
September 21, 2020
Government gives data on returnee migrants
Labour ministry told Parliament that 1.06 crore workers returned to their home states during the lockdown. Bihar and UP account for 47.5 lakh workers.
February 11, 2021
Parliamentary committee submits report on inter-state migrant workers
Report says lack of a credible database has led to adverse impact on the implementation of relief and rehabilitation measures
January 16, 2021
States impose lockdowns
18 states impose varying periods of lockdown amidst rising Covid-19 cases, and 14 states maintain restrictive movements without lockdown.
April 19, 2021 - May 24, 2021
May 24, 2021
Migrants flag lack of vaccine access
Migrants flag lack of access to vaccines, either due to digital gaps or shortage of doses.
8,733 people including migrants die on railway tracks in 2020
Kerala undertakes special vaccine drive for migrant workers
Kerala takes vaccines to doorsteps of migrant workers by setting up vaccination camps and putting up public health posters in local languages
August 16, 2021
August 26, 2021
e-Shram portal launched
Union government launches the e-Shram portal aimed to build a database of all unorganised sector workers. 30.7 crore workers have registered till March 31, 2025.
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Jharkhand undertakes the Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative
Jharkhand launches initiative to facilitate and strengthen policy actions to enable institutional welfare support to 5 lakh migrant workers and their families. Read about PDAG's experience here.
December 16, 2021
June, 2022
One Nation One Ration Card Scheme implemented nationwide
Pan-India roll out of the scheme with last state Assam joining. ONORC scheme allowed migrant beneficiaries to claim either full/part foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) in the country through existing ration card, and their family members back home to claim the balance foodgrains on same the ration card. Watch our ground report on ONORC here.
West Bengal Migrant Cremation Aid Scheme
Post pandemic, the West Bengal government offered Rs. 3,000 to the nominee of a registered migrant worker for cremation if the worker passed away at their workplace or residence away from home.
April 25, 2023
November 21, 2023
Odisha Expands MGNREGA workdays to tackle labour migration
Odisha government announced 200 additional days of MGNREGA work in 30 migrant-prone blocks, fully funding wages at Rs. 352 per day.
West Bengal launched health card for migrant workers
West Bengal launched a separate health card for migrant workers as a variant of the Swasthya Sathi scheme, which covers annual medical expenses of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family.
March 12, 2024
March 19, 2024
Supreme Court directs states/UTs to issue ration cards to unorganised sector workers
The Supreme Court directed the State Governments and Union Territories to grant ration cards to 8 crore workers in the unorganised sector who, despite being registered under the Center's e-Shram portal, do not have these ration cards.
Credits:
Compilation of events: Policy & Development Advisory Group (PDAG), Anuja
Illustrations: Abhiruchi Das, Harshika Tripathi, Sharanya Kunnath
Pictures: Abhijeet Gurjar, Anindito Mukherjee
Editing: Anuja
Web design: Pranav Kay, Divya S