Migration

About the theme

The Tata Trusts have been pioneers in designing and implementing programmes addressing the challenges of migration. Through dedicated teams, they work in both the source states as well as destination states, for the welfare of migrants. For the source state of Orissa, the destination state is mainly Telangana, while for Rajasthan it is Maharashtra, and for migrants from Uttar Pradesh, it is the NCR region.

The initiatives under the Trusts’ migration portfolio are aimed at helping migrants face the challenges of migration. This is achieved by linking them to various social security and financial services, and health and sanitation facilities, which in turn eases the stress they face due to residential, occupational and social vulnerabilities.

The Trusts’ vision is to support the development of migrant communities by introducing sustainable and scalable solutions to achieve large-scale impact. The current phase aims at transforming the Migrant Resource Centres (MRC) or Apna Seva Kendras into independent service delivery centres. The MRCs serve as a one-stop shop, delivering labour-friendly services that address migrant vulnerabilities. These services include providing linkages to government entitlements and schemes, legal assistance in wage and worksite issues and accident-related cases, along with employment opportunities and banking services.

MRCs established by the Trusts are now spread across the source states of Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Through the MRCs, the Trusts have provided over 16,000 entitlements to migrating and vulnerable households in Odisha, totalling around Rs23 million.

The Trusts have developed an Android app that has facilitated the survey of over 10,000 households in the state of Odisha, and the data has been shared with the line departments of the Government of Odisha for framing policies, schemes and entitlements for the beneficiaries.

The Trusts have established schools and crèches, and introduced facilities and health services in over 50 brick kilns in the Karimnagar district of Telangana, reaching over 5,000 migrants. Through the MRCs in Uttar Pradesh, the Trusts have facilitated the delivery of Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BoCW) benefits to migrants.

In Rajasthan, loans have been disbursed through local partners to support the housing, shelter and health care needs of migrants, and to provide preschool cum day care centres at brick kiln sites for their children. In the Thane district of Maharashtra, the Trusts have provided over 1,000 services to workers at the Tata Housing construction site. This includes BoCW registration, BoCW scheme benefits, insurance, pension and banking services.

The strategic focus of the Trusts’ migration interventions is on creating a significant impact on the quality of life of over two million migrants and their families by:

• Ensuring financial inclusion for the migrants.
• Facilitating linkages to various social security schemes and government services.
• Ensuring they have decent living conditions, water and sanitation.
• Bringing in technology and design innovations to address the nutrition, housing, water and sanitation needs of migrant workers.
• Streamlining recruitments, eliminating occupational vulnerability and striving towards humane working conditions in the brick kiln sector.
• Introducing outreach methods to provide information, education and communication support to migrant workers.
• Conducting research and training to improve policy and practice.

In Odisha, the Trusts have partnered with Parda, Karmi, and the YCDA, while in Rajasthan, the Trusts have joined hands with Urmul Khejadi Sansthan and GSVS. In Uttar Pradesh, the partners have been the Aga Khan Foundation, Grameen Development Services and Trust Community Livelihoods.

Service delivery at source states

Through the migrant resource centres (MRCs), the Trusts educate existing and potential migrants about their entitlements and assist them in accessing them. The focus is on providing information and assisting with the necessary documentation and legal aid for wage and worksite or accident-related cases. It also facilitates linkages with financial services and employment opportunities.

The Trusts also liaise with concerned government departments for the benefit of migrants. The approach in the current phase of the programme is on joint implementation with partners, with an aim to make these centres self-reliant and sustainable. The Trusts have also forged partnerships to roll out an entrepreneurship model that links potential migrants with self-employment opportunities.

Currently, there are over 100 MRCs or Apna Seva Kendras (ASK) in source states for potential migrants to approach. This platform serves as a one-stop shop facilitating labour-friendly services to reduce the vulnerabilities of migrants.

With synergy across various portfolios, the Trusts are also working towards improving nutrition and encouraging continued education, while helping communities get access to the schemes they are eligible for, including schemes for the girl child and pension for the elderly.

On-site delivery in destination states

Most migrants engaged in the construction or brink kiln industries travel to worksites in destination states along with their families. Considering this, the Trusts engage in providing onsite delivery directly at the migrants’ worksites, which includes facilitating delivery of Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BoCW) benefits to migrants and financial services.

In destination states, especially at brick kiln sites, where migrants move with their families, the Trusts have played a vital role in establishing schools and crèches to promote onsite early childhood care and continued education, besides providing linkages to health care and improved nutrition.

Brick kilns

The Trusts facilitate crèches and bridge schools for children of migrant workers employed in brick kilns. Multi-service delivery centres have been started in the brick kiln clusters of Karimnagar district of Telangana and Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan in partnership with brick kiln owners, the Department of Labour, the Government of Rajasthan and the Government of Telangana.

The children of brick kiln workers are encouraged to join a worksite school, where curricula have been specially designed for them. Younger children are looked after by caregivers from the community. The caregivers -- young women from the local community, have been trained with the support of our partner mobile crèches. In Telangana, where children of migrants from Odisha face linguistic challenges, specially trained teachers from Odisha called Vidya Volunteers have introduced Odia learning material through an arrangement with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Odisha.

The Trusts, through their continuous efforts, aim to empower migrants with benefits under the Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BOCW) Act, and help them avail benefits under the Act.