Punjab's farm, industry face labour shortage

Although the labour scarcity is not a new phenomena happening to the state but it is for the first time, the industry and farm sectors have observed the severe shortage of labour which is being estimated at 30 to 35 per cent.     

Where on one hand the low availability of migrant labourers is threatening to prolong the period of ongoing paddy cultivation during kharif season and on the other hand it is also likely to hit the industrial production of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector, experts said.     

 

Experts pointed out that with the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREG), the migrant labourers belonging to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are getting same amount in their respective states as what they were earning by working in Punjab.

"Then why they would come back and work here," questioned Punjab State Farmers Commission, economist P S Rangi said.    

They further attributed the lower inflow of labourers in Punjab to the growing inclination of migrants for working in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and its surrounding areas where new industrial investments have taken place.     

Although the exact figure of existing migrant labourers is not available, the total strength of migrant labourers in Punjab is roughly estimated at 30 to 35 lakhs and out of which 9 lakhs workers are engaged in the farm sector, said Rangi.