KENDRAPARA: The fall of Indian rupee to a record low of 70.32 against the US dollar may have been a headache for economists but for families of 35,000 plumbers working overseas, this has come as a good news. It is a windfall for those sending money from abroad to their families in India due to fall in the rupee. Weak rupee helps overseas workers and their families fill up their coffers.
“The sharp decline means the expatriates will get more Indian rupees. Every month, people working in Gulf countries send around `five crore to their family members in the district through Western Union Money Transfer service of the Postal department. Due to the record fall of Indian rupee, foreign-based workers get more benefit,” said Prafulla Naik of Patarapur village.
A bank official of the district said, “The depreciating rupee is bad for our economy. But it also provides an opportunity for people of the district, who work in the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to earn more.”
Basanta Pradhan of Aul, whose son works in the UAE as a plumber, said for every Dirham, a plumber working in the UAE is now getting 19.14 Indian rupees. Last year, one Dirham was worth `17, he said.
Haribandhu Nayak (62) of Pattamundai, who worked in Dubai as a plumber for 30 years and now resides in his village, said this is the opportune time for overseas workers to earn huge money.
“My son Bijaya has been working in Dubai as a plumber in a construction company for the last five years and sends money to me every month. With the rupee hitting a record low, I am hopeful of getting more money,” Nayak added.
A large number of people in the district attribute their prosperity to their expertise in plumbing and sanitary fitting in the Gulf countries and other nations. The palatial houses and sky-rocketing price of land in many villages of the district bear testimony to the prosperity of the overseas plumbers.
Rajnagar, Aul and Pattamundai are the prominent grooming centres for people engaged in plumbing. Every youth in these areas and nearby villages dreams of striking it rich with the trade.
The men in this coastal region have been dominating the sanitary business both in India and abroad for decades. There have been many instances of people returning to their villages after a decade with a huge amount of money, said Jagabandhu Das of Rajnagar.