Workforce crisis looms as 10,000 migrants leave Mohali

About one lakh workers, employed as domestic helps, in industries and markets or at construction sites, have registered with the administration to go back to their states, of which 40% have now decided to remain here

A workforce crisis is looming in the district with 10,000 migrants, including domestic helpers and others in industries, returning to their hometowns and villages in other states even as lockdown restrictions in the wake of Covid-19 are being eased.

Though Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan says that around 40% of the one lakh migrant workers who had registered to go home have opted to stay back, 10,000 persons have already left by trains and buses. Some have walked back. More trains to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are scheduled in the coming week, he adds.

According to a rough estimate around 3,000 domestic helpers living in Mauli, Jagatpura, Kumbra, Sohana, Shahi Majra and Mataur villages of Mohali have left by train. Most of them belonged to Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Champaran and Chapra in Bihar.

‘Don’t want to come back’

“At least we have our homes in UP. For the past two months we have been sitting idle with no work. The only food we ate was distributed by NGOs and welfare organisations. I don’t want to come back again,” Seema, aged 32, a domestic worker, told Hindustan Times on May 8 while boarding the train for Hardoi.

According to JR Chaudhary, president, Mohali Senior Citizen Council, most of the domestic workers have already left the city. “We will be facing major problems as they have said they are likely to come back only after six months. Most couples here work and once the lockdown is lifted they have to go to office,” he says.

Three projects delayed

Three major projects of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) likely to be delayed because of lack of workers include one related to additional water supply under Phase 5 and 6 of Kajauli waterworks, expected to be completed in March next year. The new deadline is likely to be July 2021. Building of the eight km stretch from New Sunny Enclave to Mulllanpur, which was to begin from April 15, is now likely to start in July.

Construction of a bridge dividing the Sector 80/81 road, already delayed by two years and expected to be completed by March this year, is now likely to finish in August.

GMADA chief engineer Sunil Kansal says most of the authority’s workers have left for their homes with just 30% remaining. “Our project will be delayed by three to four months as we do not have any other option now,” he says.

Industrialists who have opened up after partial lifting of restrictions are also worried about increasing productivity at a time when there is hardly anybody around to do the work. There are around 13,000 MSME units and 49 large industrial units in Mohali that employ 1.3 lakh persons, out of which 78,000 labourers have gone back to their states.