Agricultural Labour Banks in Kerala – Joining Decisions, Impact and Barriers for Joining

This paper has attempted to find the acceptance of Labour Bank initiative across labourers in Kerala and the changes it has made in the lives of labourers. It has also identified the barriers in joining the Labour Banks. For study, primary data were collected from 64 labourers (32 members of Labour Bank and 32 non-members) in two blocks of the Thrissur district and the secondary data were collected from published sources. The study has revealed that institutional interventions in the form of Labour Banks helped both labourers and farmers by providing more work days and better remuneration to labourers and adequate and timely supply of skilled labourers to the farmers. The Garret ranking analysis has revealed that work in distant places, lack of interest, unsatisfactory work conditions, lack of awareness and working as permanent labourers were the major barriers to joining in labour banks. The study has suggested that institutional in interventions like this must be supported by the government and may be replicated in other parts of the country for a regular supply of labourers.