Ranchi: Dinesh Korwa, 32, a resident of Bargarh block of Garhwa district had left for Kerala two years ago, leaving behind his family and elderly father. The family had struggled with recurring droughts and were left in a hand-to-mouth situation, forcing Dinesh to seek greener pastures in an effort to earn and feed his loved ones. In Khunti, Joseph Munda’s family thought he would return at least for a day earlier this month to cast his vote, but he did not, as he was yet to receive payment from his employer at a bakery bricks in Bihar.
They are not isolated examples of thousands of daily wagers from Jharkhand who migrated to other states in search of work but could not return even for a day to cast their votes for a host of reasons but also for the simple fact that they were not paid properly. and on time.
Moreover, Jharkhand, despite being one of the richest states in terms of natural minerals, is among the best states in the country from worker migrate to different corners in search of low paying jobs. The plus point for Jharkhand workers, especially from the Santhal Pargana region, is that they are considered loyal, honest, disciplined and hardworking, making it easy for them to find jobs as worker easy. The strong evidence is when the Border Roads Organization (BRO) comes to Jharkhand every year without fail to hire workers. The state government has even signed a memorandum with the BRO authorities for better treatment and payment of workers. Alas, the workers are fighting as hard as ever against successive governments, both at the center and in the state, promising to work for their betterment and pointing out time and again that the tribals are the first claimants of “jhal, jungle and Gemini” no. only in the state but in the whole country.
If the collapse of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand exposed how laborers from Jharkhand are engaged in some of the most difficult regions of the country as laborers just to earn two square meals a day for their family, the recent shooting death of a resident of the state, Sree. Ram Hansda (41) and the injuries of his two colleagues Bittu Murmu (22) and Mitalal Soren (50) in trouble-torn Manipur speak volumes about the dangers faced by laborers – both natural and man-made.
Despite these risks, the poverty of the workers always drove them to other states in search of work, but their plight hit the national headlines only by the lockdown caused by Covid as they were stranded and did not have enough – or to survive in the states of their work or return to their homes. “Our situation will never improve as nobody takes responsibility for us,” said Manoj Kushwaha, who reluctantly left for Karnataka after casting his vote at a booth in Chaibasa. His employer had allowed him a three-day leave.
According to rough estimates, about five to eight lakh workers from Jharkhand work in other states. Those engaged with BLACK are even large, showing that about 25% of the people of the state are registered as workers. According to the national portal, the total number of workers in the state is 99.42 lakh.
The state convener of ‘NREGA Watch’, James Herej, believed that the National Rural Employment The Act helps to check the migration of workers to some extent. “But they need timely payment because they are daily wage earners and cannot feed their family if the payment is delayed for months,” he said, adding that every year during the October-November period, NREGA payments are delayed, forcing many family. to migrate
Currently, NREGA workers in Jharkhand get Rs 245 from the Center and an additional Rs 27 from the state, making it better than many other states. However, late payment is a problem.
Another group of workers engaged in the coal industry also often face an uncertain future in the wake of the increasing use of machinery in coal mining and transportation. A supervisor working with a private coal company engaged by BCCL, Suresh Vishwakarma, said that since he and a few others were trained in operating the machinery, they were not thrown out. “Within the next five years, several thousand workers will be out of a job as coal companies are hiring machines to increase profitability while reducing the number of workers,” he said.
Center of Indian Trade Unions State General Secretary Vishwajit Deb pointed to the delay and reluctance of the chamber of commerce to implement the revised wages as one of the reasons for the workers’ suffering. “The unions had demanded Rs 788 as the minimum wage for unskilled workers, but it was revised to only Rs 456 and even then, the industries have approached the national project coordinator of the International Labor Organization for its revision, which is not other than inhuman. he added.
They are not isolated examples of thousands of daily wagers from Jharkhand who migrated to other states in search of work but could not return even for a day to cast their votes for a host of reasons but also for the simple fact that they were not paid properly. and on time.
Moreover, Jharkhand, despite being one of the richest states in terms of natural minerals, is among the best states in the country from worker migrate to different corners in search of low paying jobs. The plus point for Jharkhand workers, especially from the Santhal Pargana region, is that they are considered loyal, honest, disciplined and hardworking, making it easy for them to find jobs as worker easy. The strong evidence is when the Border Roads Organization (BRO) comes to Jharkhand every year without fail to hire workers. The state government has even signed a memorandum with the BRO authorities for better treatment and payment of workers. Alas, the workers are fighting as hard as ever against successive governments, both at the center and in the state, promising to work for their betterment and pointing out time and again that the tribals are the first claimants of “jhal, jungle and Gemini” no. only in the state but in the whole country.
If the collapse of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand exposed how laborers from Jharkhand are engaged in some of the most difficult regions of the country as laborers just to earn two square meals a day for their family, the recent shooting death of a resident of the state, Sree. Ram Hansda (41) and the injuries of his two colleagues Bittu Murmu (22) and Mitalal Soren (50) in trouble-torn Manipur speak volumes about the dangers faced by laborers – both natural and man-made.
Despite these risks, the poverty of the workers always drove them to other states in search of work, but their plight hit the national headlines only by the lockdown caused by Covid as they were stranded and did not have enough – or to survive in the states of their work or return to their homes. “Our situation will never improve as nobody takes responsibility for us,” said Manoj Kushwaha, who reluctantly left for Karnataka after casting his vote at a booth in Chaibasa. His employer had allowed him a three-day leave.
According to rough estimates, about five to eight lakh workers from Jharkhand work in other states. Those engaged with BLACK are even large, showing that about 25% of the people of the state are registered as workers. According to the national portal, the total number of workers in the state is 99.42 lakh.
The state convener of ‘NREGA Watch’, James Herej, believed that the National Rural Employment The Act helps to check the migration of workers to some extent. “But they need timely payment because they are daily wage earners and cannot feed their family if the payment is delayed for months,” he said, adding that every year during the October-November period, NREGA payments are delayed, forcing many family. to migrate
Currently, NREGA workers in Jharkhand get Rs 245 from the Center and an additional Rs 27 from the state, making it better than many other states. However, late payment is a problem.
Another group of workers engaged in the coal industry also often face an uncertain future in the wake of the increasing use of machinery in coal mining and transportation. A supervisor working with a private coal company engaged by BCCL, Suresh Vishwakarma, said that since he and a few others were trained in operating the machinery, they were not thrown out. “Within the next five years, several thousand workers will be out of a job as coal companies are hiring machines to increase profitability while reducing the number of workers,” he said.
Center of Indian Trade Unions State General Secretary Vishwajit Deb pointed to the delay and reluctance of the chamber of commerce to implement the revised wages as one of the reasons for the workers’ suffering. “The unions had demanded Rs 788 as the minimum wage for unskilled workers, but it was revised to only Rs 456 and even then, the industries have approached the national project coordinator of the International Labor Organization for its revision, which is not other than inhuman. he added.
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