NEW DELHI, May 2: The Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has blamed the migrant labourers from other states, particularly Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, for the criminal incidents in his state.
Speaking at a Labour Day rally in Panaji, Sawant said about 90 per cent of the crimes in the coastal state were committed by migrant labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other areas, urging contractors to obtain “labour cards” before employing them.
The Chief Minister said every migrant labourer working in the state must have a labour card given by the state government. The Goa government issues labour cards to those working in the private, unorganised and industrial sectors to keep a record of employment as well as extend welfare measures to this category.
Pramod Sawant said it was necessary to track the details of labourers as “after committing a crime in Goa, migrant labourers often return to their state and it becomes difficult to locate them.” The Chief Minister had asserted that “about 90 per cent of the crimes in Goa are committed by migrant labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other areas”.
Sawant said the state government has roped in two NGOs to ensure that all labourers are issued the cards. The chief minister announced that the facility to enroll the labourers for the card would be made online soon.
He said once the cards were issued to all the labourers, it would be easier to access the database. “It will also help the police investigate the cases and track them,” Sawant added.
(Manas Dasgupta)