CHENNAI: The expenses on accommodation in lodges and food are burning a hole in the pockets of around 1,000 migrant labourers in the city, who, in the upcoming trying days may run out of money, thereby forcing them to evict, fear activists.
Several migrant labourers are boarding in lodges around Egmore and Chennai Central, after the trains to their hometowns were cancelled.
Speaking to Express, Mehboob, a labourer from Kolkata, who is staying at a guest house half a km away from Central railway station said, “I have stayed in this lodge for almost a month now. Until today, the daily rent was Rs 400 per person. Now, we pleaded with the manager and have brought it down to Rs 100 per person. Even that, we are not able to pay.”
Mehboob had come from Kerala (where he worked) to Chennai, in order to board a train to Kolkata, with Rs 5,000 in his pocket. He now has just about Rs 400 left with him and has asked his family for financial help. There are 30 labourers from Kolkata staying in the same lodge.
“This is my first time to Chennai. I don’t know where one can get cheap food and a stay place or whom to ask,” he worried.
Another labourer, on condition of anonymity, said that since the city corporation has instructed lodge owners to retain the labourers in their respective lodges, and not ask them to leave, staff were coming up with other ways to force them to leave.
They cut off electricity and water supply. We convinced them that we’ll pay the rent in installments. Only after that, they’ve restored the connections, he added.
The issue was brought to light by Chennai Citizens COVID Fund For Migrant Labour, which has activists from various fields coming together to help migrant labourers. When the issue was raised, Corporation officials did not offer to move them to community halls or shelter homes, but instead, continued holding talks with the lodge owners, said Shreela Manohar, a volunteer.
“The lodge owners question us how they are supposed to look after electricity and water costs without demanding rent. They are commercial establishments who are here to do business, so we cannot blame them either. Now, we have two sets of citizens fighting against each other for a decision that the government has taken,” said T Venkat, and independent labour activist.
When contacted, corporation officials said that they were doing everything in their capacity to resolve the situation. “We have already said that they can have food at Amma Unavagams at free of cost,” the official added.