JK Women’s helpline for migrant labourers

Over 2,500 migrant labourers’ calls received since March 27

Jammu Tawi, May 24: For many helpless migrant labourers from different parts of the country who are working in Jammu and Kashmir, the 181 women’s helpline is proving to be a ray of hope by helping them get ration and medical relief in the ongoing lockdown amid the coronavirus.

The helpline, a programme of the UT government and Department of Social Welfare in collaboration with Aman Satya Kackroo Trust, is functioning 24 hours and all days of the week. The helpline provides counseling to distressed women.

Purnima Dhar, manager of the helpline, told that around 50 calls on an average were received every day. “Since March 27, around 2600 calls from migrant labourers have been received from all districts of J&K and Ladakh,” Dhar said.

“Though the helpline is meant for women only, it also received calls from migrant labourers, mostly belonging to Madhya Pradesh, since the lockdown. Interestingly, these migrant labourers dialed 181, which is the helpline number of MP Chief Minister, but all the calls were received by us,” she added.

“We are ensuring that the callers are supplied essentials with the help of the respective district administrations. However, a few calls about some women’s issues among the migrant labourers were also taken,” she said.

“We felt if these callers were not timely counseled the crisis would have grown. Recently, we stopped one group from departing to their states on cycles and on foot,” she said.