Lockdown-Like Mass Exodus? Surat – known for its diamonds and textile factories – is a major destination for migrants workers from Odisha who come here for jobs in different sectors. More than seven lakh migrant workers work in the city’s textile and power loom sectors with a daily income between Rs 300 to Rs 700. This income is insufficient for the workers to cover the skyrocketing prices of LPG gas and food, due to which several migrant workers are leaving the city and going back home.
What Did Migrant Workers Say?
According to 36-year-old Sudarshan Mahakud, who hails from Ganjam’s Buguda, he came to the Diamond City in November this year but is now planning to return home due to the skyrocketing prices of LPG triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Sudarshan works in the power loom sector.“For the last three weeks, we’ve been finding it very difficult to arrange for cooking gas. Since most of the workers don’t have a regular LPG connection, they depend on 5 kg from the black market. They now charge Rs 500/kg to refill, which is also not available easily,” Sudarshan Mahakud told The Indian Express.However, Sudarshan is not the only one who has decided to leave Surat amid rising LPG gas and food prices. Hundreds of Odia workers are opting to take trains back home, as per a report by the Indian Express. Most of these migrant workers work in textile mills and the power loom industry.Source link
Leave a Reply