MUMBAI: A recruitment agency’s failure to blow the whistle on actor Saif Ali Khan’s alleged Bangladeshi assailant, Shariful Fakir, has put the spotlight on careless manpower companies. Although Shariful was sacked for committing theft at a Worli pub, recruiter Jitendra Yadav found him another job . The scenario is worrisome as the influx of illegal immigrants may rise, given the political instability in Bangladesh.
MMR is witnessing a robust demand for unskilled labour, including watchmen, bodyguards, pantry staff, drivers, domestic help, housekeeping personnel, delivery agents, counter salespersons and construction workers. TOI spoke to hiring agencies to assess their recruitment and verification procedures.
Big firms do collect candidates’ Aadhaar cards and conduct police verification, and suggest that street corner agencies should follow suit. “There is a limited pool of talent. So, not all agencies engage in the best practices. We seek skill sets first, and while hiring, collect all documents. We recruit for MNCs where one unsavoury incident can get us blacklisted. One mistake in today’s digital scenario is worth lakhs of rupees,” said consultant Abhishek Padwal of Career Choice manpower services, Navi Mumbai.
Illegal immigrants in Navi Mumbai work as domestic help, labourers and vegetable and fish vendors. They manage to procure voter ID cards and Aadhaar cards, too. A senior police official said regular crackdown on such immigrants is undertaken. But activist Madhu Shankar said despite complaints, both Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and police appear unconcerned, and estate agents provide accommodation without verification. B N Kumar of Alert Citizens Team has alerted the authorities too.
“Seeing the equivalent of the American Dream in India, Bangladeshis are willing to work harder for lower salaries. And local employers looking for cheap labour are willing to hire them,” said Padwal. “The same job for which a native of UP, Bihar or MP demands Rs 700-800 per day will be done by a Bangladeshi for Rs 400-500. So, employers looking to save money hire them.”
The Andheri-Jogeshwari-Goregaon belt is a hub of manpower agencies. Hafizur Rehman, who runs Maids India in Goregaon, said, “We run a free hostel and mess for women housemaids who arrive from Assam, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Most come with references from our existing maids. We collect their Aadhaar card and phone numbers of three or four relatives, and do police verification before providing placement.”
