NEW DELHI: Exodus of labourers in large numbers following demonetisation has led to the delay in completion of realty projects in the NCR areas. Property agents and builders claimed that nearly 30-40 per cent migrant labourers have moved to their native places owing to cash crunch.
“Labourers usually get paid in cash on daily-basis. After the high-value currency was banned, they could not sustain livelihood due to lack of cash and were left with no option but to leave the city," said Sunil Gupta, a Noida-based property dealer. "As a result, construction activity at nearly 300 projects in Noida and Greater Noida has come to a standstill,” said.
A visit to Greater Noida revealed the plight of the few labourers who are still working at some construction sites. “We have never opened bank accounts. We have been getting payments in cash since long. But, for the past one-and-a-half month, we have got even less than half of our wages. Contractors have told us that they would give money only when the situation becomes normal,” said Manoj, a migrant labourer. “Many workers have already left the city.”
Mukesh of Nawada in Bihar did not return to his village because he had started working here recently. “I was earning `300-350 on daily-basis. Demand of daily wagers was very high in the market before demonetisation. But now, I get work only once in two or three days. Contractors are saying things will get back to normalcy after January,” he said.
Meanwhile, banks that have been holding camps near construction sites in Greater Noida to open bank accounts of labourers have failed to attract them. “Labourers have come here mostly from UP and Bihar. Even though they have been staying here for years, they don’t have any documents. We have been trying to help them in opening bank accounts with minimum documents. But, most of them have hardly any proofs,” said Saket Singh, a bank employee at the camp.
Property dealers told builders pay the contractors through cheque, who subsequently pay the labourers in cash “Labourers will have to open bank accounts. With this, they could be paid on weekly-basis. We have no option to pay them right now, as we don’t see cash situation improving in next few months,” said Gupta.