Compile workers’ info, sarpanches told

TNN | May 2, 2020, 07:58 IST

Gurgaon: The district administration has asked sarpanches of all villages in Gurgaon to carry out registration and compile details of migrant workers stranded in their areas wishing to go back home.
The administration claimed that this is a preliminary exercise aimed at creating a database of all migrant workers in the district for better planning on recent orders issued by the Union ministry of home affairs on inter-state movement of migrant workers.
Letters were sent to all village heads in the district on Thursday and Friday by district block development and panchayat officer J R Maan. “All migrant workers who wish to go back home need to be registered in the format mentioned in this letter. After filling the pro forma as directed, submit it to the district office,” the letter reads.
The form tasks village heads to note down details, such as name and family members, permanent address, Aadhaar card number and contact number, of workers.
“We’re already working out modalities of inter-state movement. But before that, we need to prepare an exhaustive database to ensure that nobody is left out. We have mobilised sarpanch and gram sachivs of all villages to get every migrant worker registered. They have also been told that this is just a registration exercise and neither should they nor the villagers misinterpret it in any way,” Maan told TOI.
While many village heads have already begun the exercise and are reaching out to migrants with the help of anganwadi workers, a few said the department has not made it a time-bound exercise and they’ll begin it shortly. “We’ve begun the exercise on Friday itself. Anganwadi workers are supporting us in this. Although it’s not time-bound we want to complete it soon and send the list at the earliest,” said Sonu, Kherki Majra village sarpanch.
The move, however, has stoked confusion and chaos at several villages as sarpanchs are still not clear about how to proceed and fear that workers may get their names registered and start leaving immediately for bus depots hoping to get transportation immediately. Many villages have even suspended the exercise seeking clarity and guidance from the administration.
“I’m not going ahead with registration as of now. I’ve asked the gram sachiv to visit us and guide us on the entire procedure. I don’t understand the exact purpose of this exercise. Many are assuming that after getting registered, they can pack their bags and leave. I want the officials to give me a clear picture and a set of answers for the queries villagers are coming up with,” said Kankrola village sarpanch Fakir Chand.