Bhubaneswar: The fear of Covid-19 infections might have forced them to return to their native places, but lack of employment overrides the fear as thousands of labourers from Odisha are now embarking on reverse journey to their workplace.
According to sources, labourers from many parts of the State are now heading back to Surat in Gujarat, Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. Special buses are being arranged to transport the labourers to these states.
During the lockdown, a whopping 4 lakh migrants returned to Ganjam district alone. Though the coronavirus cases are on the rise, lack of employment opportunities have forced the labourers to return to their workplace.
“The government had promised to provide employment, but did not. Therefore, my husband was forced to return to his workplace and many more labourers will also join him. We cannot survive on a few kgs of rice and Rs 1000 given by the government,” said Chabita Swain, wife of a migrant who had returned from Chennai.
“No government officials approached us so far and did not take any action to provide us employment. When we returned home after staying in quarantine for 21 days, we did not have money to survive and maintain our family. Therefore, we are forced to return,” said a migrant from Khallikote who was going to Chennai.
Ganjam Collector, however, claimed that only a few labourers have returned to their workplace and registration of labourers who had returned during lockdown will be conducted soon.
“We will register the migrants on a platform and access the situation and take steps to create employment opportunities for them,” said Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange.
According to sources, lakhs of migrants from Ganjam work in spinning mills in industrial centres like Surat and the units were affected after return of the migrants. As lockdown restrictions were relaxed, the mill owners urged the Odisha government to arrange trains for the migrants to return.
“We have written to the union railway minister and Gujarat government stating that bringing back labourers is need of the hour. We have requested to introduce special trains to bring back the labourers,” Dinesh Nabadia, president, Surat Chambers of Commerce.
Harihar Pal, an Odia industrialist based in Surat said, “The labourers need to return as they do not have employment in their native places and factories here could not resume without them.”
On the other hand, Odisha government claimed that only skilled labourers are returning to their workplace and unskilled labourers who are staying back will be provided employment opportunity in the State.
Dibya Shankar Mishra, Industries Minister said, “Skilled labourers who returned to their native places during Covid-19 lockdown are going back to their workplaces. Those staying back will be provided employment.”
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)
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