Act now

Sir — It is a relief that the Centre has promised to create a comprehensive database of migrant workers in the coming months (“Watch them”, July 29). Hopefully, the database will help build a safety net for millions of migrant workers whose precarious living conditions were brought to light only after the Covid-19-induced lockdown last year led to untold misery.

Although there are laws to ensure fair working conditions for migrant workers — the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 and the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 — these have not been implemented properly by successive Central and state governments. These acts have provisions for registration of migrants and fair wages. The government must refer to them to ensure the welfare of migrant workers.

Jahar Saha,
Calcutta

Sir — India has a large number of unorganized workers who move away from their homes to work in far-flung places. The two waves of the pandemic which led to nationwide lockdowns have hurt this section of the population the most. In June, the Supreme Court rightly rebuked the labour ministry for its failure to complete the National Database for Unorganised Workers.

It must be remembered that while migrant labourers contribute immensely to developmental activities in India, they are mostly deprived of the benefits of various welfare schemes. The government must complete the database and properly implement the One Nation One Ration Card scheme so that migrant workers can access subsidized food grains. With the third wave of the pandemic looming on the horizon, it is crucial that safety nets are put in place.

S.S. Paul,
Nadia

Hair raising tale

Sir — Governments around the world are tearing their hair out to tame the coronavirus. The aam aadmi — those who are lucky enough to survive Covid-19 — are losing their hair too: the hair loss, apparently, is a fallout of the viral infection. This only goes to show that the discovery of the vaccines notwithstanding, the nature and some of the after-effects of Covid remain mysterious as ever.

Shilpi Agrawal,
Siliguri