Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jan 27: Migrant workers, who were taken aback by the sudden surge of coronavirus pandemic, had returned to their home districts or states by foot, by taking available buses and other vehicles. Life has returned to normalcy ever since, but over 50 percent of those who went back, have refused to return to coastal districts.
Now, most of the restrictions placed on public and private transport system have been lifted. Industries and businesses are operating almost normally. Schools and colleges too have been functioning. But the workers who had made coastal districts their home, are not agreeable to come back here. As per an estimate of the labour department, 70 percent of workers in the case of Dakshina Kannada and 50 percent relating to Udupi have not returned to resume work here.
Representational image
One reason for this scenario perhaps is that employment opportunities in coastal Karnataka have not returned to complete normalcy. Real estate has lost its vibrancy, many industries have cut down their production and companies where workers used to work on three shifts, by reducing the shifts to two or one. A few companies are working with less labour strength. In the case of companies which are not affected, workers have come back.
As many as 3,000 workers engaged in construction at MRPL have resumed work. Ninety percent of the labourers who were engaged in deep sea fishing have returned. Before coronavirus stepped in, Dakshina Kannada had 80,000 workers from other districts or states, and 30 percent have come back. As per official information, 30,428 migrant workers returned by trains with help from the district administration. As many as 13,000 went back by buses. Many arranged their own transport to go back.
In Udupi, 6,484 returned by trains. A total of 7,805 were sent by the district administration by special KSRTC buses. Equal or more number of workers might have returned on their own. Fifty percent of workers have returned but those from far off states have not come back as railway services have not been fully restored.