HC seeks report on migrant labourer statistics from Bengal govt

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the statistics of migrant labourers in the state.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed the state government to file a detailed report in the matter in the form of an affidavit within next four weeks.

The bench also expressed anguish on why the state government has been unable to provide a clear picture.

The bench was hearing PIL filed by one Biswajit Mukhopadhyay. During Covid-pandemic and lockdown period, several migrant workers from the state returned. However, there was no initiative on part of the state government to have a clear count on the approximate number of migrant labourers from the state.

The petitioner alleged that immediately after the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, he sought an answer from the state government for which he did not get any response.

In 2022, Mukhopadhyay filed an RTI for the same after which the state government informed him about the absence of specific information.

As per rule, if any factory employs five or more migrant workers from a particular state, the factory authorities are required to inform the native state authorities.