Lack of jobs hits Saran daily wage workers

CHHAPRA: A large contingent of daily wage workers in the district said they are unable to find work ever since there has been a ban on sand mining as many people either suspended their construction work or have dropped the idea of taking up new project.
“There is hardly any work for us these days. Every day we come here in the hope of getting hired but most of the days we return empty handed, “ said a daily wage worker Prakash.
According to an estimate, more than 2,000 workers assemble every day at these places but hardly 60% of them get job. They mostly work at construction sites, and undertake jobs such as setting up tiles, stone work, brick work, painting, etc. Since the availability of work has decreased, hundreds can be seen standing everyday without any work
Chhapra has some places where most of the daily wage workers assemble everyday. They are Mouna Chowk, Bhagwan Bazaar and Gudari Chowk. These workers come from places like Mashrakh, Marhoura, Dighwara, Manjhi and Ekma etc by rail, bicycle, buses or even on foot in the hope of getting hired for the day.
Narrating his woes, one Manoj Sah, who comes from Jalalpur in search of employment said, “When I fail to get any job, I return disappointed. It becomes difficult to procure food for my children that evening. The recent ban on sand mining has added to our misery.”
To help the workers, district labour superintendent Ramesh Kamal Ratnam recently visited places where daily wagers assemble and apprised them of the government’s scheme and suggested them to get registered with the labour department.
He also advised them to submit two copies of passport size photographs and copy of Aadhaar card. “Once they get themselves registered, government will provided grants for purchase of bicycle along with other facilities such as insurance and training,” said Ratnam.