With Wages Unpaid, Bastar Labourers Stop Work At Construction Sites

Bastar: In the Naxal stronghold of Chhattisgarh's Bastar, the tribal population working at construction sites has been struck hard by the currency ban.

The contract labourers building roads and bridges in these remote areas are being inconvenienced due to the limited access to money.

35-year-old Shamlu Ramnag has been building a bridge along with a dozen other labourers near Tongpal village in Chhattisgarh.

Mr Ramnag is struggling to support his family of seven. Ever since the note ban he has not received his daily wage of Rs 200 per day. For the last three weeks he has been managing with Rs 35 per day, and a vague promise that the rest of the money will come later.

"Earlier we were paid daily but for the last three weeks we are facing problems. We don't know if we will get our dues as there is a cash crunch. Half of the labourers have now stopped coming to construction sites as they can no longer work on credit," Mr Ramnag said.

The number of labourers at road construction sites has dropped drastically. 

"Since demonetisation we have been badly hit. 50 per cent of our work has been affected and because of demonetisation many projects have not been able to start. We have written to the Chief Minister to increase the cash withdrawal limit and extend the deadline of projects awarded to us by three months," said NR Parashar, contractor and former state President of Builders Association of India.

The contractors are still awaiting a reply from the BJP state government.

"In the past, there were complaints about contractors not paying workers properly. With this scheme, the government is making the process cash less and labourers in the future will get money directly in their accounts, and benefit," Sanjay Shrivastava, BJP Spokesperson of Chhattisgarh, said.