Chennai's Migrant Labourers Now Homeward Bound Due To Demonetisation

While the country debates the government's big demonetization move, it is certainly turning the heat on thousands of migrant labourers who are forced to return home with an uncertain future.

Pintu, 27, used to earn Rs 400 a day but since the government abruptly outlawed 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to curb black money and corruption, it has been two weeks of no work and thus, no money. After working as a construction labourer for 18 months, he is homeward bound to Odisha's Balasar.

"Food was becoming difficult. No one was accepting old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Some even asked for Rs 200 commission," he said, adding that he has no bank account.

A train to West Bengal's Haldia, too, is filled with worried faces. With no permanent address, many of these migratory construction labourers, like Pintu, don't have bank accounts.

"We have no bank accounts. Nobody is willing to even lend us some money," said Sheikh Mazablal, another migrant labourer.

Chennai has an estimated five lakh migrant worker population in the construction industry but nearly two lakh construction labourers have already returned to their homes in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. This has reduced construction activity in Chennai by half.

Suresh Krishn, President of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations in India, Chennai says, "It would be difficult to bring workers back. As per the system, we used to pay them a lot of cash as advance but now, contractors can't get that much cash."