Wednesday, January 18, 2012

TN ranks second in foreign remittances, lacks database on migrant workers


Sriperumbudur:
Tamil Nadu ranks number two in remittances from abroad but the state hardly has any data on overseas migrants from the state, according to S Irudayarajan.

Speaking during the inauguration of International Seminar on Young People and Migration organized by Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development on Wednesday, S Irudayarajan, chair professor of Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Research Unit on International Migration, Centre for Development Studies said remittances from Tamils working abroad stood at Rs 40,000 crore, which is second only to Kerala (more than Rs 50,000 crore) but the state lacks stock of migrants working abroad.

He said there is a need for Tamil Nadu migration survey along with state and Centre participation. He also said the national migration survey could be launched soon which would also look into the social aspects of migration.

He also rued that the country has not conducted any survey on youth migration. He said 80 per cent of migrants are youths and the country hardly has any data on youth migration in particular as no survey has been conducted so far.

Nitin Kumar, head of International Organisation of Migration in New Delhi, said Tamil Nadu has yet to set up Migrant Resource Centre. He said the center will be useful in taking up the issues of distressed migrant workers. “We spoke to Tamil Nadu and the labour department evinced keen interest but it has not yet been set up,” he added.

Currently, Migrant Resource Centre are being set up in various parts of the country including Kochi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka.

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