VIJAYAWADA: The progress of the major projects in the State including Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) and those being executed in Amaravati has been affected as the contracting agencies are staring at a severe workforce crunch. Most of the construction workers, who are from other States, have left for their respective home towns to exercise their voting right, leading to shortage of workforce.
The officials of the State government told TNIE that the situation has been difficult from the last week of March. “From a week before Holi, which is widely celebrated in northern States, the workforce started to leave for their respective native places. Following this, the elections began and more people left the State to exercise their franchise, which slowed down the work. There is a workforce deficit of 30-40 per cent,” a senior official overseeing PIP explained.
It maybe noted that it is already a tight rope walk for the State Water Resources department as it aims to divert water from the project, by virtue of gravity into canals, by July.
The situation is expected to continue for a few more weeks as the seventh and final phase of elections will conclude only on May 19. “There has been a considerable improvement compared to first week of April, but since there are a few more phases of polls left in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, from where most workers hail, there will be minor hiccups for a few more days,” the official added.
It maybe recalled that the issue was brought to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s notice last week when he reviewed the progress of Polavaram project and Amaravati. He directed the officials to engage more workforce to ensure that both the projects — which he often claims to be his dream projects — are completed on time.
“We often face issues with workforce mobilisation, but since it is an election year, it is higher than usual. Once the polls are over, we will engage more people to complete works as per the deadlines,” another official observed.