GADAG : Over 20 hamlets in Gadag district are facing a migration crisis. With most of the working population from these hamlets migrating to bigger cities in search of greener pastures, these villages are now mostly inhabited by elderly people.
The displacement of working men and women is rapidly increasing in Shirahatti, Mundargi and Lakshmeshwar taluks as there are no jobs, even under MGNREGA. Earlier, people used to get work under MGNREGA, but now Gram Panchyats (GPs) are allotting work to only one person per family. There is also delay in crediting wages to their bank accounts.
While some have left the district along with their children, there are others who have admitted their children to hostels. People from Suranagi, Adarkatti, Adrahalli, Kundralli, Kondikoppa, Nelugal, Doddur, Undenahalli, Akkigund, Shettikere, Bhudihal and other hamlets are now moving to Goa, Mangaluru, Chikkamagaluru and Bengaluru.
Some have already gone to Belagavi district to work in sugarcane fields and others have migrated to Putturu, Chikkamagaluru and Kerala to work in coffee estates.
The elderly people who have been left behind in these hamlets are a worried lot. They fear that if something happens to them, they cannot rush to a hospital on their own and there is nobody to take care of them in cases of emergency.
‘Migrating in search of jobs’
A person from Doddur hamlet, who was on his way to Kerala on Wednesday night said, “We have lost agricultural crops due to heavy rain. MGNREGA work is also restricted. It has become very hard for us to eke out a living in these hamlets as we have to sit idle here. So we are moving to other cities where we can earn at least about Rs 400 to Rs 500 per day”.
An official in the district administration said: “We will bring this matter to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner and the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer. We will seek reports from all GPs and take measures to address the issue.”