GADAG: As the Covid third wave is ebbing, companies that had allowed employees to work from home have been asking them to report back to office. But many in Gadag district, like in other parts of the state, are refusing to return as they have found new love in agriculture, got themselves adjusted to the laidback rural life and want to remain close to their extended families.
When the Covid horror started unspooling in early 2020, many high-earning professionals and labourers returned to their hometowns. While some took to farming, others started shops and hotels. Santosh Mudgal from Pethalur village, who is a software engineer at an MNC in Bengaluru, said, “I am happy here and planning to settle down here. I want to continue as a farmer. Over the last two years, I have planted 500 coconuts and 500 lemons trees on our land.”
6,000 people came back from cities to Gadag
Siddalingesh Bellad, another techie who worked in Pune, said, “I have got myself adjusted to my village, Abbigeri. I have started farming and also bought two cattle. My family is happy to have me around.” Many labourers and professionals, who too had moved back to their hometowns, have listed their names with local pancayats, got themselves job cards and are working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Panchayat Development Officer Ameer Nayak said, “In Abbigeri Gram Panchayat, there are 214 job card holders of MGNREGA who were earlier working as technicians, managers and cab drivers in cities.” An official from the district administration said, “It is difficult to get the exact numbers. Over the last few months, we have categorised people based on their earlier professions. As per this statistic, Gadag has over 6,000 people who came back from cities. Nearly 50 per cent of them are not willing to go back."