Migrant labourers to be poll issue in Bihar

Patna, Aug 30 (IANS) The migration of labourers is turning out to be a poll issue for opposition parties in Bihar as Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for being unable to create jobs in the state.

As a result, labourers who walked thousands of kilometres are heading back to states offering more job opportunities, Tejashwi alleged.

His statement comes a day after Pappu Yadav, president of Jan Adhikar Party, blamed Nitish Kumar for the same.

“The development of Bihar is currently reflecting at Patna airport where hundreds of labourers are assembling to catch flights. The development is also visible in villages where buses are sent by employers from other states to take our skilled labourers,” Tejashwi said.

“These labourers have travelled thousands of kilometres during the Covid-19 lockdown to reach their homes. Do they not deserve some respect and jobs back home? The employers of other states are sending air tickets and buses for the labourers of Bihar. It explains the approach of the Bihar government,” he added.

Tejashwi claims that nearly 40 lakh migrant labourers returned home during the lockdown.

The Nitish Kumar government had announced a deposit of Rs 1,000 for every labourer. 50 per cent of them were deprived of government aid. Bihar has a “double-engine” government but neither state nor Centre has extended their helping hand to them, he said.

“Nitish Kumar is a respectable person. I respect him personally. At the same time, he is also a liar. He hid the actual data of corona-infected persons. There were 84 lakh people in Bihar’s 16 districts which were flood-affected. I have pointed out several times and the Chief Minister went for aerial survey just twice,” Tejashwi alleged.

–IANS

ajk/khz/kr