MIGRATE

LABOUR IN
PUNJAB

MEANING OF LABOUR
MIGRATION

Human migration entails movement of people from one locality or location to

another, sometimes over long distances and in large groups. Migration of people
occurs for various reasons: exodus during ethnic conflict, natural disaster,
political instability, economic hardship as well as search for economic and social
improvement, betterment of livelihood and so on

RATIONALE
People at the senior administration level in
State Government view it from their
objectives
of
States
Development,
Management, Law & Order etc.
Local community view this (at times) with
doubts/suspicion for their self interest.
Migrants are looked more as problems a
threat for locals.

PUNJAB
STATE
OVERVIEW
The state of Punjab is located on the
northwestern border of India.
Punjab is divided into three regions - Majha,
Malwa and Doaba. The administrative set-up
comprise of twenty (20) districts and 141
blocks, within which there are 12,673 villages
and 134 towns.
Punjab has recorded an above average

STATE
ECONOMY

Punjab is primarily an agricultural state. The state has recorded highest

yield per hectare of wheat, rice, cotton and Bajra. The per capita milk and
egg production is highest in the country
The state has in fact, is often referred as granary of India. In 2006-2007,
Punjab contributed 75% of wheat and 30% of rice to the central pool of food
grains (Economic Survey, 2006-2007, Govt. of Punjab).

MIGRATI
ON IN
PUNJAB

Estimated number of migrant

workers(1000) in Punjab
Last

usual

place

of

Rural Punjab

Number

Urban Punjab

Share

Number

Share

residence
Andhra

0.0

0%

0.0

0%

0.0

0%

1.9%

0%

Pradesh
Assam
Bihar

56.9

Chhatisgarh

0.0

Delhi

31%

194.6

34%

0%

9.6

2%

1.1

1%

13.8

2%

Gujarat

0.1

0%

1.5

0%

Harayana

22.3

12%

26.7

5%

Himachal

12.8

7%

21.7

4%

Jharkhand

12.2

7%

0.2

0%

Madhya

3.6

2%

2.9

1%

11.5

6%

14.7

3%

Pradesh

Pradesh
Rajasthan

UP
41.1
23%
Source:-Research
study

46%
by264.9
Faith healthcare

Ludhiana Important
industrial district with large
number of migrant labours.
Male migrant workers in
Ludhiana(urban)
Ludhiana,2001
Workers(000)
Total workers

539.6

100.0%

Local workers

178.2

33.0%

Migrant workers

361.4

67.0%

Source:-census of India,2001 series B

Econimic tables and D Migration tables

CAUSES OF
MIGRATION
1. ECONOMIC FACTORS
2. DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
3. SOCIO-CULTURAL
FACTORS

ECONOMIC
FACTOR
The basic economic
factors which
motivate migration may be further
classified as Push Factors and Pull
Factors

The push factors are those that

compel a person, due to different reasons, to
leave that place and go to some other place
1.LOW PRODUCTIVITY
2.UNEMPLOYEMENT & UNDERDEVELOPMENT
3.POOR ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
4.LACK OF OPPURTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT
5.NATURAL CALAMITIES

The Pull factors refer to those factors

which attract the migrants to an area, such as:

DEMOGRAPHIC
The differences
in the rates
FACTORS

of
population increase between the
different regions of a nation have
been found to be a determinant in
SOCIO-CULTURAL
the internal migration.
Improved FACTORS
communication
facilities, such as, transportation,
impact of the television, the
cinema,
the
urban
oriented
education and resultant change in
attitudes and values also promote

MIGRATION TO
DIFFERENT SECTORS
1: INDUSTRIAL SECTOR

2: AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

MIGRATION TO
DIFFERENT SECTORS
3: SUGAR INDUSTRY

4: BRICK KILNS

MIGRATION TO
DIFFERENT SECTORS
5: MIGRATION
IN CONSTUCTION

PROBLEMS
ASSOCIATED
WITH LOCAL
POPULATION
BY LABOUR

1. REDUCTION IN
WAGE RATE

2. CREATING
COMPETITION

3. REDUCTION IN
RESOURSES
4. UNHYGENIC
ENVIRONMENT
AND DISEASES
CAUSE

5. INCREASE IN AREA
POPULATION

6. DRUG ABUSE

8. INCREASE IN
CRIME

IMPACT OF
MIGRANT LABOUR

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO
ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEMS
FACED
BY
LOCALS
1. Preference should be given to the local labour
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

first by employers.
Again, the Minimum Wage Act should be
followed strictly. This way, the locals can not
complain about the low wages.
Local labour should be given all facilities so
that they are motivated to work.
The migrants should be made to obey the
rules in order to maintain clean surroundings.
A property act should be introduced in
Punjab, so that no out-of-state person can
purchase property.
Since the migrant population is increasingly
rapidly, the State Government should put

CONCLUSION

A general perception of the farmers regarding

migration of labour was that it has resulted in
increased supply of labour, decreased wage
rates and increased social tension, crime, drug
menace and cultural invasion. Despite this,
Punjab farmers preferred migrant labour due
to their timely availability, quality of work and
low wages. Some farmers preferred local

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