Farmers Movement Archive

For paddy crop, Punjab farmers walk that extra mile to bring labourers back

BARNALA: Purnia, Motihari, Chapra and many other districts of Bihar may be far off places to an average Punjabi and many here may not be able to even correctly pronounce their names, but when it comes to getting migrant workers for paddy transplantation, anything is in the realm of Punjabi farmers. They are going all the way to these districts and spending lakhs on bringing them back. Similar is the case with districts like Pilibhit, Mirzapur, Jaunpur, etc in Uttar Pradesh, where the farmers are going to get the migrant workers back. A bus to any district of Bihar to bring back 35-40 persons costs between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.20 lakh, while those to relatively nearer districts of UP charge Rs 65,000-75,000. On arrival of some such buses in the villages of Barnala on Friday evening, the returning migrants were given hero’s welcome. At present, nearly a dozen buses from various villages of the district are in Bihar and UP. Immediately after their arrival, the migrant workers are tested for Covid-19 and they are not allowed to work or go to any locality till the report is out. They are kept at isolated motor rooms in the fields. Only after they test negative they would be allowed to work. Paddy crop, including basmati, is expected to be transplanted in 27 lakh hectare and a major part of it is to be transplanted manually. But, since migrant labourers have returned to their native places and not much means of transportation is there for their return, the farmers have started sending buses. BKU Lakhowal’s Barnala district president Jagseer Singh told TOI, “We have brought 65 migrant workers in two buses from Motihari in Bihar and Pilibhit in UP. Tests of all 65 workers were conducted at Barnala on Saturday and we will get reports on Monday. Till then they will stay in motor rooms in the fields.” Farmer Gurpreet Singh of Patti village, speaking to TOI over phone from Purnia, said half a dozen farmers have sent three buses to take back migrant workers and they are expected to start return journey on Sunday morning. Asked why they do not go for direct seeding of rice (DSR) instead of going to Bihar to bring labourers back, Gurpreet said, “DSR is not a good option for us. It gets much lesser yield. We also don’t have reach to machines.”

The Times of India

2020-06-07

Ludhiana