The Malda district administration has started expediting the process of registering migrant workers on the portal that has been launched by the Mamata Banerjee government during the seventh edition of “Duare Sarkar” – a drive to reach out to residents across the state and simultaneously encourage them to apply for the state-run business loan scheme.

“During the ongoing ‘Duare Sarkar’ camps which started on Friday, we are emphasizing the registration of the migrant workers through the Karmasathi portal so that we have details of all such workers who move out to other states from Malda district and from the state as a whole,” said Nitin Singhania, the district magistrate of Malda.

Over the past couple of days, administrative officials have also held talks with labour contractors and have asked them to encourage migrant workers to enroll themselves in the portal.

“These contractors sent the workers in groups to work sites in different states. Their message to the workers can be effective. Also, some other organisations have been requested to approach the workers,” the DM added.

Last month, Malda witnessed the deaths of 24 migrant workers. While 23 of them died in an accident at a construction site of the railways in Sairang of Mizoram, another died in Assam, while working at another site in Jorhat.

The deaths had led to repercussions in the political arena of the state. While BJP and other parties in opposition had slammed the state government for failing to create adequate job opportunities, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had asserted that alternative earning options are available for these workers in their home state.

“If someone wants to move out, how can we stop them? We want them to stay back and start a small business by availing the “Bhabishyat” scheme where they can get assistance up to five lakhs,” she had said.

The deaths due to accidents and the chief minister’s insistence on popularizing the loan scheme have made the administration in Malda pull up their socks and take additional initiatives.

“To make the migrant workers and their families aware of the necessity for enrollment and benefits of the loan scheme, we are making public announcements in rural areas. Also, bulk SMS is being sent in the cell phones of workers whose details we have with us,” said an official.

Singhania said to help the workers who want to avail the loan, the BDO offices have readied templates of schemes that the workers can use to file their applications.

“Bankers have been asked to sanction the loans under the scheme. We are ready to extend all help to the applicants,” he said.

Along with the administration, leaders of Inttuc – Trinamul’s workers’ front – have also set up camps in rural areas across the district to apprise migrant workers about the benefits of enrollment and the loan scheme.

Subhadeep Sanyal, the district Inttuc president, said on Friday itself, they interacted with hundreds of migrant workers at the camps.

“The response is overwhelming. In Chouduar village (from where 13 workers had died in Mizoram), we spoke with around 500 workers and motivated them to get themselves registered in the portal,” he said.