Around 30 migrants from Chhattisgarh working at a construction site and desiring to return to their homes were in for a shock for allegedly being instructed to bring a letter from the builder as a proof of their residing there.
The incident took place in the Ameenpur police station Limits. It came to the attention of activist Anand Chandolu who resides close to the construction site. As it turned out, the issue pertained to registering for a ‘movement pass’ at the relevant police station in whose limits they reside.
“The migrants told me that they went to the Ameenpur police station in the wee hours to get registered. However, they were turned away after being told to get a letter from the builder. But the builder says there is no need for such a letter,” said Mr Chandolu as he sought to know under which law the letter from the builder was sought.
Later, one of the migrant workers accompanied by Mr Chandolu went to the Ameenpur police station around noon on Thursday, where they were asked for the same thing.
Meera Sanghamitra of the National Alliance for People’s Movements too raised the issue. “I have been seeing that a lot of workers are confused. They don’t know what to do,” she said.
As was reported in these columns, a similar incident was seen, albeit in Jubilee Hills, at the Jubilee Hills Metro station, where a group of migrant workers were asked to report to the Banjara Hills police station as they were domiciled in an area within its limits.
When contacted, Ameenpur inspector S Prabhakar said, “There are some people who have been coming here from other police station limits. We are doing whatever we can to help them. But we need to know in which police station limits they are living. Whatever be the case, if there are any such cases of confusion, we are willing to help.”