PAIKMAL: Satrughana Tandi has delayed his annual migration routine to work in a brick kiln in Telangana by a fortnight and so has his wife Sukanti. Thirty more villagers of Harijan Pada village are also set to board trains for different destinations anytime after December 5, the Padampur bypoll day.
Sources said it is the labour contractors who have been reportedly approached by political parties to keep the flock together till the poll date and also bring back those who are away, at least for a day. Tandi in his early sixties was one of the 22 migrants who were rescued as bonded labourers from a brick kiln at Ramkrishnapuram of Bhongir Mandal in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh on January 12, 2012. After rescue, the Tandi couple was determined not to get into the trap of Bhati Sardar (labour agents) as they were assured by Bargarh district administration of livelihood support.
However, it did not take much time for the couple to change its mind to be hired again. The reason, the district administration failed to provide them jobs, as assured, under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
“My financial condition has worsened without a regular income. I was forced to send my 19-year-old daughter Anita to work as a daily wager. My son, Chudamani (13), dropped out of school and would soon join us as a seasonal migrant labourer,” Tandi rued.
An aggrieved Tandi, who was promised housing assistance of Rs 70,000 soon after his rescue, told TNIE that he is a victim of political machination. “ Selection of beneficiaries for PMAY assistance is considered on political lines. My pleas went unheeded by local sarpanch and administration,” he alleged.
Tandi is not the only one to feel cheated. Similar complaints resonate through the voices of Colonypada residents of Bartunga GP under Paikamal block. Twelve out of 44 households of the rehabilitation colony stayed back on the assurance of local politicians. But a majority of households, though entitled for housing assistance, are running from pillar to post to receive any grant.
“Who wants to work in harsh conditions away from home and family? Had we got a pucca house and livelihood options, we would have stayed back here, our native place. To add to our woes, we do not have a regular income,” said Narasingh Rout, a resident of Colonypada.
Ironically, the construction of Biju ExpressWay passing through Padampur and Paikmal blocks of Padampur assembly constituencies too failed to provide any work opportunities even for a year as machines were preferred over manual workers.
As Padampur bypoll nears, the ‘unwanted’ labour force like Tandi and his ilk are much ‘wanted’. Informed sources said the labour contractors are trying their best to convince brick kiln operators to spare them for the election and political parties have reportedly offered to bear their travel expenses.