After Delhi and Maharashtra, Ludhiana has also started witnessing migrant labourers walking back to their native states. As factories are shut due to the coronavirus outbreak, the labourers are finding it difficult to earn their livelihood.
Carrying their luggage on their shoulders, groups of labourers were found walking towards New Delhi at Focal Point on Sunday. Most of them were youngsters, ranging in age from 20 to 30 years. Some were also walking with their wives and children.
Being a hub of industries, over 15 lakh migrant labourers, mainly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, live in Ludhiana. After the sudden lockdown, these migrant labourers were left stranded, without any savings or food.
The labourers who were residing within the factory premises were asked to vacate and some were pressurised to pay the rent of the quarters they were living in. Hence, these labourers thought of going back home as the best option. With no availability of public transport, these workers are covering the distance on foot or on the vehicle that they own.
A group of four youngsters including Kuldeep, Mohit, Pintu and Bimlesh were travelling back to their home-- Farrukhabad village in Uttar Pradesh-- which is 745km away from Ludhiana. They said they were working here in a nut-bolt factory and were earning ₹9,000 a month. They were paying ₹1,200 as rent for a room, which was shared by two persons, in a labour quarter at Focal Point.
{{/usCountry}}A group of four youngsters including Kuldeep, Mohit, Pintu and Bimlesh were travelling back to their home-- Farrukhabad village in Uttar Pradesh-- which is 745km away from Ludhiana. They said they were working here in a nut-bolt factory and were earning ₹9,000 a month. They were paying ₹1,200 as rent for a room, which was shared by two persons, in a labour quarter at Focal Point.
{{/usCountry}}“Yesterday, the factory owner gave us ₹1,000 as a part of salary. As the factories will be closed till April 21, it is becoming difficult to live here without the essential commodities. Hence, we decided to start the journey to our native village,” he said.
“We hope to get a lift from someone, otherwise we will continue to walk,” they added.
Dharminder, 22, of Bareilly, who was working here as a daily wage construction labourer, was also travelling back with his group. He said, “The labour contractor has refused to pay our wages. So, it is better to move back to our villages where we can easily arrange food. Moreover, as there is no work, there is no purpose to stay here. Back at home, we will be able to spend time with our family and also look after our fields.”
Chandan Kumar of Fatehpur, who works as a driver and lives on rent at Hazoor Chowk, said, “Earlier, it was announced that the factories were to remain close only on the Janata Curfew. Later, the state government suddenly announced lockdown till March 31. We labourers thought that we could manage with limited facilities till March 31, but as the lockdown was extended till April 14, we fear that it can be extended further also, making it difficult for us.”
He added that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister is making efforts to arrange buses for the labourers stuck in different states. “I will wait till March 31 for the bus service and if there will be no such facility, I will start my own journey on April 1,” he said.
Meanwhile, the district administration ordered on Sunday that no landlord will force the migrant labourers to pay the rent for a month.