No information on migrant staff

Visakhapatnam: The police are yet to complete the profiling of migrant workers as a security measure despite crimes by them increasing in the Vizag region. Over 2,940 small and medium industries are located in the North Andhra region of Vizag, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts with over two lakh workers alongside. Twenty per cent of the migrants are from Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and a few other states. Recently a painting worker Sunil Devidas Sarpe, 26, from Maharashtra murdered a 55-year-old woman S. Lakshmi at Mantripalem area under Parawada police station limits. Fortunately he was nabbed by the cops. Otherwise the case could have remained unsolved as the police have no data on migrant workers at various places in the region.

A senior police officer said on condition of anonymity that they have profiled migrant workers working at defence establishments and a few other PSUs. The police officer said it is difficult to track those involved in crimes all the way back to their home town. In some districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu the cops have maintained a record of migrant worker profiles. Apart from thumb impression, a typical profile will also include name and address of the worker, a copy of identification documents like Aadhar or voter ID, details of employer, contact number, photo and some other details.

A police officer of the Special Branch wing said that the migrants are mostly from Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and are employed in various sectors including construction. All police stations have been asked to maintain the migrant workers profile registry. Though the idea is not new, the police officers concerned are not doing this seriously; they say employers are not providing all the information needed. The crime wing cops say that they have come across a few cases where migrant workers were found to be involved in theft, drug peddling and fake currency circulation.