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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Data Team

Data | 96% migrant workers did not get rations from the government, 90% did not receive wages during lockdown: Survey

Migrant workers from UP and Bihar at a government school in Azampura, where distribution of 12 kg rice and ₹500 per person is taken up by the Revenue officials, in Hyderabad on Saturday. (Source: The Hindu)

A survey of 11,159 migrant workers stranded in various States found that between April 8 and April 13, more than 90% did not receive rations from the government. Close to 90% of those surveyed did not get paid by their employers. From March 27 to April 13, 70% of the surveyed workers had only less than ₹200 left with them.

Low on food and money

The chart shows the % of migrant workers who did not receive rations or cooked food from the government/ other sources, and were not paid by employers, between April 8 and April 13. While in this period, the % of workers who received cooked food from the government/ other sources improved marginally, most of them did not receive rations from the government or wages from their employers.

Did the stranded workers receive essentials?

Migrant workers DP - Chart 1

(If graph doesn't appear in full, click here)

Depleting stocks

The chart plots the % of migrant workers who had less than one day of rations left.

Fast exhausting rations

Migrant workers DP - Chart 2 

As a high share of migrants workers received neither rations nor cooked food from the government/NGOs, and were not paid their salaries, the share of workers having less than one day of rations left increased steadily.

Also read:  COVID-19 | State-wise tracker for coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates

Worst hit States

The following points list the % of migrant workers left without essential items such as rations and cooked food, and the % of those who had less than ₹200 to survive, between March 27 and April 13. Workers stranded in Uttar Pradesh were among the worst affected.

Left without rations

96% workers surveyed across India said they did not get rations from the government.

  • In Uttar Pradesh, 100% of the migrant workers did not receive rations
  • In Maharashtra, 99% of them did not receive rations.
  • In Karnataka, 93% of them did not receive rations.

Without cooked food

70% workers surveyed across India said they did not get cooked food from the government or local organisations.

  • In Uttar Pradesh, 64% migrant workers did not receive cooked food.
  • In Karnataka, 80% did not receive cooked food; in Maharashtra, it was 58%; and in Delhi and Haryana it was 66%.

State of existing rations

70% workers surveyed across India said existing rations would last them only for two days.

  • In Uttar Pradesh, 100% of the migrant workers said that rations would last them only for 2 days.
  • In Maharashtra, 90% said the same.
  • In Delhi and Haryana, 82% said the same.

State of finances

70% workers surveyed across India said they had less than ₹200 to survive during the lockdown.

  • In Uttar Pradesh, 87% of the migrant workers had less than ₹200.
  • In Haryana, 76% had less than ₹300

Also read: Coronavirus | Confusion over mismatch in Health Ministry, ICMR figures

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