Bihar is changing and its impact is being felt in faraway states like Punjab and Delhi. Earlier in search for jobs, impoverished and semi-skilled workers used to travel to Punjab and other places. Punjab was full of labourers from Bihar. But things have started changing as latest reports show that the state is witnessing reverse migration that is people from Bihar are going back to their state.
The reason for this is the Congress-led UPA II implementation of MGNREGA in the state. Under this scheme poor people are able to get money and thus many have given up jobs. People from Bihar say that it has become difficult for even finding worker on farms. The agriculture section in Punjab too faces the same problem as many workers from Bihar have moved back.
Anybody who gets employment doles will do this. In rural Bihar, workers have also increased wages to work on farm. All told, to address the worker shortage many small companies have started distributing freebies like mobile phones and bicycles to workers.
But it appears things are working and hence nearly 5000 bicycle industry in Ludhiana are facing threat of closure. Also, labourer exodus from Bihar has declined by 26 per cent in the last few years. The signs are certainly not good for the bicycle capital.
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