Workers from Rajasthan step in as NREGA checks cow belt migration

Workers from Rajasthan step in as NREGA checks cow belt migration
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 5

The harvesting season has begun but the migrant labour from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, unlike in the past years, has not landed for the assistance this time. Till now, only Rajasthani labour has arrived in this district.
During an interaction with a large group of labourers working at village Jeewan Singh Wala, who had come from Pali area in Rajasthan, it was observed that they had come just due to the necessity of wheat, which they cannot get in their region. They said in their area water level was too low to produce wheat. So they had come here bearing huge travelling expenses.
In the previous season, it was observed that due to implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), a small number of labouers from Bihar and UP had come here, as they had got jobs in their own states.
Recalling the past experiences of labour shortage, farmers of the region have already started booking the labourers in advance to avoid such situation.
“We are a total of 26 members in family, who have been reaping the crop here in this 12 acre field. After here, we will move to the adjacent chunk of the field, as ‘Sardarji ’ had already booked us for that,” an elderly labourer Boota Singh said.
Another labourer, Rana Sabu Chaudhary said, “We stay here for a month and after the harvesting season will return to our village in Rajasthan to reap bajra and get other jobs also.”
The farmer, Jagsir Singh of village Jeewan Singh Wala, whose field was being harvested, said, “No labourer is free nearby as most of them are busy in laying road and construction related works. Now labourers from Bihar and UP are not interested in coming here, so we have been finding these Rajasthanis to be the only assistance for us because we alone cannot reap the whole area on our own.”
On being asked about the use of Combine harvester he said, “We never go for that machine considering its demerits, as it spoils much quantity of grains and also leaves stubble in the earth.”
About the charges being paid to them, he said, “Now we cannot negotiate with them much, as understanding the labour pang, they too have started taking stand on their demand. They take 1.2 quintal wheat for reaping one acre. In a day, they all including women collectively reap total three acre of crop. Other than this we have to bear their milk and sugar expenses and also provide shelter at our own house.”