Migration of workers spells tough time for industries

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, June 9

After being allowed to fully run industries during unlock 1.0, the industrialists have been facing problems in restarting their factories due to return of migrant labourers to their states during lockdown.

Facing shortage of labourers, many industries have been able to function with just half or one-third of the capacity. While the industrialists are having trouble running factories, the migrant labourers are also upset. They are calling their factory owners requesting them to make arrangements to bring them back. Industrialists have demanded that as arrangements were made to repatriate the migrant labourers back to their states, labourers desirous of returning should also be provided facility so that they can come back to work and run the industries properly.

Mukesh Goyal

Owner of the Savitri Plywoods Factory in Hoshiarpur’s Bhikhowal village, has sent a bus to Kishanganj in Bihar to bring back 32 labourers from the border areas of Bihar and Bengal, at his own expense. Talking to The Tribune he said workers were the backbone of industry.

“I need about 150 skilled workers to make my three factories operational. For this, I have resent the bus, which will run continuously to bring the workers here from Bihar,” he said.

Brahm Shankar Jimpa

Owner of activated carbon factory in Patiarian village, said, “Labourers working with us for years are a part of our family and they have been asking us to bring them back with great hope. I am trying to bring them back, but small scale industries do not have enough resources to afford buses or other vehicles. I am getting train tickets booked for the workers and their families. I hope that the running of trains would solve the problem”.

Satish Gupta

Owner of Jai Mata Plywood Factory in Khakhli village, said the workers had been constantly contacting them over the phone asking to bring them back.

“The workers, who had returned to their native states, are upset, but as there are no trains, it is difficult to return. So we are going to send a bus at our own expense to bring them back from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, for which we are contacting the administration for necessary documentation”.

Sundar Sham Arora

Industries’ Minister said the government was co-ordinating with industries for the return of workers. “In every district, the General Manager of the Department of Industries and Deputy Commissioner are in constant touch regarding the problems of the industries and the need of the workers.

Efforts are being made to provide the workers according to the needs of the industries as well as getting the work for the workers returning to Punjab,” said Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora.