ENGLISH ਪੰਜਾਬੀ हिंदी
Chicago booked.net
+35°F
Visitors
   
Impreza
YOUR REGION YOUR PAPER A SUPPORT FOR ALL COMMUNITIES

Our Followers: 13300946 Follow Us
   View Details << Back    

LPG shortage: New crisis from villages to cities; Migrant workers start returning home

  
  
Share
  There are no elections or any pandemic but migrant workers are packing their bags and heading to their native villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This time, the shortage of cooking gas cylinders is forcing them to leave their jobs. Cooking gas is not as easy to get as it used to be due to the war in the Middle East. Being from outside states, most of the workers do not have gas connections here. Most of these workers work in Punjab’s farms, construction companies, small factories, food shops and as domestic helpers. “Most of our workers have told us that they have regular gas connections in their homes in their own states. Here they used to survive on small cylinders which were earlier common in the open market but now with each passing day, survival is becoming difficult,” said Narendra S. Saggu, president of Focal Point Association Jalandhar. Saggu said that despite assuring them of all possible help, he could not convince at least 20 percent of his employees to stay. Some migrant workers said they are not being allowed to use firewood at their workplace or residence, making it difficult to cook two loaves of bread. Kuldeep Kumar, who works at a crockery store in Ludhiana, said, “Small cylinders are not available in the market. I am now cooking with wood collected from under the trees. Also, I know many people here in my native village who are not allowed to burn wood in their yards.” Badish Jindal, president of the World MSME Forum, however, said that a large number of workers return home at this time every year during the harvest season. “This is a common trend, but this year a large number of migrants are returning to their villages. The common reason given for this is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to manage their daily meals.” Ram Bhawan Goswami, president of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Parishad (Amritsar), said that out of about 35 lakh workers in Punjab, about 40,000 to 50,000 workers return to their native villages during this period every year. “The shortage of cooking gas is definitely forcing many more to go with them this time,” he said. Kamal Dalmiya, president of Focal Point Industries Welfare Association in Amritsar, said that a long-time worker in his unit told him that even arranging a simple meal has become a daily struggle, which now seems more important than employment. This shortage of cooking gas and the return of migrant workers has also created a big concern for Punjab’s agriculture sector. The month of April is the harvest season and farmers need a large number of labourers during this time. After the wheat harvest, the crop starts arriving at the markets, where most of the work of filling sacks, weighing and loading depends on these workers. After some time, labor is also required for the jiri. Experts believe that if the war does not stop and the fuel situation remains challenging, then in the coming time, the situation may become extremely difficult for all major sectors, including agriculture, especially farmers. Due to the shortage of labor, not only the harvest will be affected, but there is also a fear of a huge increase in agricultural costs.
  LATEST UPDATES











© All rights Reserved. ADBHHUT MEDIA.