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Daily wage workers at construction sites struggle to make ends meet
As the smaller construction sites in Pune are shut due to Covid-19 related restrictions, daily wage workers looking for employment at labour pick-up points (Majur addas) in the city are finding it difficult to survive
As the smaller construction sites in Pune are shut due to Covid-19 related restrictions, daily wage workers looking for employment at labour pick-up points (Majur addas) in the city are finding it difficult to survive. At the same time, big construction sites are operating uninterrupted as the government has allowed the functioning of in-situ sites.
The labour pick-up points at Hadapsar, Warje and Bhosari continues to have a footfall of more than 200 workers every day.
“Government has given permission to continue work at big sites, but in the city, there are many small works undertaken like – construction of gardens in housing societies or constructing a compound wall and for such small work how should we arrange accommodation for the workers. There should have been some relaxation for daily wage workers so it could have benefited all,” said Jagan Ram, a contractor who provides daily jobs to workers in Hadapsar.
In and around Pune around 1.5 lakh plus workers are engaged in construction work. However, the exact data about this figure is not available. Credai Pune Metro is currently collating data of all workers above 45 years age for the purpose of free vaccination as per government norms.
Ranjit Naiknavare, vice president, Credai Pune Metro said, “It is difficult to give an exact number of the under-constructionsites. Most of the projects on the outskirts of Pune, including PMRDA and extended limits are large size developments and most of them have in-situ labour camps. Even the sites inside city limits have facilities for labour camps. Most of the construction sites are running and developers, especially the Credai members are trying their best to take good care of construction workers by providing full wages, stay, groceries, medical and sanitation facilities, isolation rooms wherever possible.”
According to Credai, most of the under-construction sites are functioning to some extent as on date.
The order has also impacted residents in many localities as they are not allowed to call workers for renovation work.
“I have to change the floor carpet of my house. If there was a relaxation for such work then my society members would have allowed renovation work at my house,” said Rohan Patil, Sunita Parks, Kothrud.
The situation is gruesome for some workers as they don’t even have money to return back home.
“I earn ₹500 per day. For the last three days, I have earned nothing. Even if I plan to visit my hometown in Gaya, Bihar, I don’t have money to get a railway ticket. What work will I do there is another problem. We are ready to undergo Covid test, but we should be allowed to work,” said Vikal Shinde, who works as a labourer at Hadapsar.
Sanjay Hiwrale, who works as labourer at Yerawada said, “For the last seven years I have been working on construction sites. Today I went to work at Vishrantwadi with six other workers and we were sent back by police as we don’t have accommodation on the site. Even our site engineer had no option, but to stop the work. If I don’t have work for 15 days, then it becomes difficult to pay rents and electric bills.”
Anita Lashkare, a daily wage worker, said, “Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is not doing anything for daily wage workers. According to the 2018 GR from the state government, if a person has worked for more than 90 days in a year then they should be registered with the Board of Construction Workers (BCOW), but PMC has not given any such certificates to us until now.”
The state government has announced a transfer of ₹1,500 to construction workers registered with BOCW.
“While welfare provisions of BOCW partly compensates it and provides basic social security net to such workers, the inaction by PMC obstructs the process condemning these workers to misery,” said B Youvraj, social activist, New Socialist Alternative.
