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As migrants leave, construction community to train, engage local youth from nearby areas in Pune
The exodus of the migrant workers began when the Shramik trains began their service. “More than 80 per cent of the construction workers left for their villages,” said Bharat Agarwal, committee member, National Real Estate Developments Council, (Naredco), Pune
Now that the lockdown is opening up and to ensure building and construction work resumes the builder community is making all efforts to engage labourers and jobless youths from nearby areas in and around Pune.
The exodus of the migrant workers began when the Shramik trains began their service. “More than 80 per cent of the construction workers left for their villages,” said Bharat Agarwal, committee member, National Real Estate Developments Council, (Naredco), Pune. “Up until then we did our best to keep them on our sites, providing them with food and daily necessities,” he added.
“Though work hasn’t started in full force since we have to have all our raw materials ready and some suppliers are in areas where transportation is presently not possible, we are keen that we have our workforce ready,” said Agarwal.
“When we witnessed this large exodus we realised that it is important to have our workers from nearby areas in Pune. To do that we have launched a training programme where we aim to train our rural youth in different skills like masonry, plumbing, electrician, among others,” said Agarwal.
“In any case, we have been doing that over the years all over India. But now our focus is going to be on the men and women from in and around Pune,” he said. To recruit jobless youth from the villages around Pune Naredco has tied up with Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh that has a large network in a majority of the talukas in Maharashtra.
Chandrakant (Anna) Dhumal, president, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Maharashtra, said, “We have always focused on the well being of our contractor workers and we have our presence in more than 70 per cent of all the talukas in Maharashtra as well as India. We have set up help desks in every taluka that aims to help them with legal and other issues that the members may have.”
“When Naredco informed us of their intention we have now sent out a circular to all the help desks with their offer,” he said.
“We think it’s a great idea since in my estimate every taluka has at least 5,000 to 10,000 youths who are jobless. We will put out this offer where they can get training in various constructions fields like electricians, plumbers, tiling, POP work among others and then get employed,” said Dhumal.
“Our aim will be to find people who live close to the sites so that they can visit their homes easily during times of family crisis or in the two to three months of farming. But in case that is not possible then they can stay on-site,” he said.
Despite the construction industry employing on contract workers that the Sangh is not in favour of, Dhumal feels that “They will at least learn a skill. And with that skill, they can find employment easily on other projects or even become entrepreneurs if they so choose. It is a good thing for our young men and women.”
For Naredco this is a long term plan. Says Agarwal, “The training modules are from one month to three, but we are in no hurry as such. If we can get at least 40 per cent of our workers from near Pune we are happy. At least you don’t get stranded like we are now.”
Credai to get back workers from hometowns
As construction activity chugs back to normal Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (Credai), Pune plans to get back their workers from their hometowns, even as the efforts to train local youth will begin. JP Shroff who heads Kushal (the wing that skills construction workers and is part of Skill India), said, “We have put out advertisements in the local papers soliciting young men and women from Pune to come train with us.”
While that may take some time the builders will need immediate hands on the deck. “To do that we have initiated talks with our other chapters across the country like Credai Patna, Credai Bhubhaneshwar among others to see how they can help us bring back our workers. We are collaborating with them to see how many are willing to come back and what we need to do to help them return and give them a job guarantee,” said Shroff.
