| Over 62,000 JK labourers stranded in other states | | Maximum stranded in HP, followed by Maharashtra | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 26: More than 62,000 labourers from Jammu and Kashmir have been stranded in other states of the country while over 66,000 labourers hailing from other states of the country were stuck in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory amid Covid-19 lockdown across the country.
Sources informed Early Times that though the number of labourers of Jammu and Kashmir who left their homes for menial jobs or for doing other works in other states of the country, didn’t register themselves and went on their own. There is no exact number of labourers of Jammu and Kashmir working in other states of the country.
In view of the COVID-19 restrictions the Jammu and Kashmir Labour Department had maintained seven helpline numbers on which the labourers from Jammu and Kashmir had made distressed calls. “On the basis of the distressed calls received on the helpline numbers, the department has compiled the number of labourers stranded in other states,” sources said, adding that as per the details received so far, the total number of labourers, who are supposed to visit Jammu and Kashmir and are stranded in other states are 62,541.
Out of the total number of the stranded labourers in other states, a total of around 20,000 are stranded in Himachal Pradesh (HP), followed by Maharashtra where 13,000 are stranded, while in Uttar Pradesh around 10,000 are stranded. Similarly, in Punjab the number of labourers stranded from J&K is 3000 while the figures in Delhi, Uttrakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, West Bengal and Goa stand at 2500, 2000, 3000, 1700, 1500, 1000, 300 and 1800 respectively. In addition, as many as 154 people of Jammu and Kashmir are stranded in Nepal.
However, there could be many other stranded JK residents in other parts of the country as the number symbolizes only those of labourers, who had made distressed calls and the exact number could swell in near future.
Sources further informed that in various districts of Jammu and Kashmir, a total of 66,967 labourers hailing from other parts of the country have been stranded. Out of these stranded people of other states, either they are stranded in Government run shelters, or in the shelters provided by the employers and some have been residing at their own in rented accommodations.
“Maximum of the stranded labourers in other states had made distressed calls on our helpline numbers, demanding some help such as food, accommodation or payment of the salary by the employer. We contacted with the respective district administrations of the states and took up the issue of the labourers for their redressal,” Commissioner Secretary of Labour and Employment Department Saurav Bhagat said, adding that maximum of the labourers didn’t want to return back but sought resumption of economic activities, so that they would earn money.
“Students struck in various states of the country, have also been aspiring to return back to J&K. There is a minor fraction of labourers, which also want to return back to J&K. There is complete ban on inter-state migration, so the decision to bring back these labourers will only be taken after Union government takes a call on it,” he said. |
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