Hyderabad Builders, Desperate For Labour, Will Fly Back Migrants

Lakhs of migrant labourers returned home on foot, bus, lorries and trains since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown in March. Many sectors, like construction and real estate, were left crippled as the migrant workers returned home. Now, Prestige Group says they will even fly in labourers as they are desperately needed at the work sites. Speaking exclusively to NDTV, R Suresh Kumar, Senior Vice President, Hyderabad Branch of Prestige Group said, "We have delivery commitments. that is why we are flying them to Hyderabad." Mr Kumar said, "In today's scenario of disrupted public transport services, hiring a bus for 30 labourers will cost us almost Rs 1 lakh. There's not much difference in the bus and air fare. So we decided to fly them in." The labourers are now choosing to return to south India because there are not many "avenues for earning a livelihood" in their home states, he said.