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Ludhiana industrialists spending a lot to bring their labourers back to city
As many as 15,108 labourers returned to the city by air, trains and buses, according to police
After the Punjab government allowed factories to open, industrialists started making efforts to bring their labourers, who had left for their native places during lockdown, back to the city.
Some industrialists had reportedly brought back as any as 747 labourers recently by air.
According to the data available with the police, a total of 15,108 labourers have returned to the city after the government allowed factories to open.
Train services had resumed on June 1, while flights were started on May 25.
A total of 13,035 labourers returned to the city via trains, while 1,326 by buses, as per the police.
After lockdown was imposed in the region, as many as 3.5 lakh migrants had left the city for their respective states via Shramik special trains.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP, headquarters) Akhil Chaudhary said they are keeping a record of labourers returning to the city and are regularly in contact with the industry to update inventory due to coronavirus outbreak.
Bobby Jindal, owner of Balaji Processors, a blanket manufacturing firm, said, he made arrangements to bring his 150 employees back from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states. They had left for their native places during lockdown, he added.
He said he bought air tickets to bring back his 10 employees from Bihar. They had taken a flight from Patna to Delhi and then from Delhi to the Sahnewal airport in Ludhiana.
Jindal said he also bought 2-tier AC and 3-tier AC train tickets for around 50 labourers and arranged taxis at a cost of more than Rs 2 lakh for bringing his labourers back to the city.
Rahul Verma, a dyeing factory owner, said he had arranged train tickets for his 30 labourers from Uttar Pradessh and Bihar to the city.
Jagbir Singh Sokhi, president of the Sewing Machine Development Club, some of big houses in the industry, which are merely 3%, arranged buses to bring their labourers back.
Sokhi added that most of the demand for sewing machines is from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but, due to coronavirus, they have no orders this time. Hence, most of small sewing machines, parts and assembling units are closed.
The cycle parts and manufacturing industry is planning to engage local labour.
DS Chawla, president of the United Cycles and Parts Manufacturers Association (UPCMA), said, “Most of the units are small and micro and they cannot afford airfare for labourers. So, we are planning to engage local labour through the employment exchange.”
RK Yadav, general secretary of the Punjab unit of the Samajwadi Party and a labour leader, said labourers want to come back to the city, but they are not getting reservation in trains. Some industrialists are helping labourers to come to the city on their own.
