BHUBANESWAR: With the State going on a virtual lockdown in its efforts to ward off the coronavirus threat, and development activities coming to a standstill, people from the bottom rung surviving on daily wages have become the immediate victims.
Hundreds of thousands of daily wage labourers and workers engaged in construction works and other labour-intensive activities across Odisha have already started losing their livelihood and are staring at acute deprivation if the situation persists for long. The impact of the lockdown on the daily wage earners are already visible in the cities and urban areas, particularly the Capital city of Bhubaneswar, where over two third of the workforce are being forced to leave without work every day.
In Bhubaneswar, thousands of daily labourers and workers gather at Kalpana Square, Palaspali, Jharpada, Dumduma, Badheibanka, Siripur and other localities early in the morning. They are then taken by contractors and people for engagement in construction and other labour intensive works. However, while the labourers congregate each day, there are a few takers for them.
“I got work only for three days in the last week. If the restrictions continue, I will not have money to pay house rent. Arranging two meals a day for my family will also become difficult, said Ramachandra Behera, a 55-year-old labourer, who had come to Nayapalli in search of work.
Kabiraj Sandha, a mason in Salia Sahi here, said in the absence of work some labourers have started migrating to other places in and outside the State.
Close to 30 lakh construction workers are registered with Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (OB and OCWWB). Nearly two-third of them are set to suffer due to lack of demand for work. All Odisha Contractors’ Association president Prabhat Dash said less than 10 lakh workers are engaged in construction work in the State due to restrictions on mass gathering at different places.
Even National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been forced to impose restriction on large scale gathering of workers at its project sites in the State. “Work on 24 NHAI projects is in progress in the State but the pace of work has slowed down after the restrictions were imposed by district administrations at construction sites,” said NHAI Odisha CGM RP Panda. The maximum number of labourers at work sites has been reduced to just eight, he said.
Real estate sector too is witnessing a slowdown. Nitish Nanda, general secretary of Odisha’s realtors’ body AFORD, said construction work at real estate projects in the State has come to a virtual halt after coronavirus spread.
Experts suggest that Odisha Government should follow Uttar Pradesh and provide financial aid to daily wagers, who are losing their livelihood in large numbers due to lack of work opportunities. They should be provided support to see them through this toughest phase.
BJD leader and former OCWWB chairperson Subash Singh said the State Government is considering to extend financial aid to the workers suffering due to halt of work activities. “No final decision, however, has been taken in this regard,” he said.