Over a lakh workers migrate abroad over :Lack of employment in Srikakulam district

Srikakulam: As a result lack of employment facilities skilled, semi skilled and un skilled workers are forced to migrate other states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal and other countries specifically Gulf countries like, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar.About 1.20 lakh families from the district have migrated so far to other states and other countries in seeking better employment and earning sources. In total there are 2.94 lakh workers in all fields have working days less than six months in a year.

Highlights:

• In total there are 2.94 lakh workers in all fields have working days less than six months in a year
• 67 per cent people are depending on cultivation which is not certain due to lack of proper irrigation facilities
• 44 percent people are illiterates and they have no sufficient work in agriculture field

67 per cent people are depending on cultivation which is not certain due to lack of proper irrigation facilities and 44 percent people are illiterates and they have no sufficient works in agriculture field. As a result they are being forced to migrate as domestic workers to Gulf countries. Kallepalli Karthik of Thallabhadra village in Sompeta mandal migrated to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia along with 23 other workers in December 2016. His family condition is miserable as his elder brother died, his mother working at anganwadi center where salaries are not being paid regularly and his father unable to earn.

To overcome the burden he got training in welding at Itchapuram and went to Riyadh to earn money as he has no sufficient employment chances here. So many other families’ financial condition is not different from Karthik in the district.To overcome financial constrains my husband, Dupana Prakash Reddy went to Saudi Arabia through an agent of Visakhapatnam four months ago. “We paid Rs 1 lakh to him at that time, but after reaching there our dreams washed away and he is facing trouble to get safe water, food etc” Dupana Bhyravi of Ampuram village in Kanchili mandal told The Hans India.

‘My husband, Dumpa Bhyragi had no work here for more than six months in a year and unable to bear financial burden, got trained in mechanical works and went to Riyadh four months ago by paying Rs 1 lakh to an agent.After reaching there he is not assigned technical works and is engaged in civil and domestic works and not paid salaries’ echoed Dumpa Rajeswari.
‘I have registered complaint with the foreign embassy through our external affairs ministry to rescue the workers and to provide alternative to them’ TDP Srikakulam MP, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu told The Hans India.

There is no specific enactment to monitor migrations taking it as advantage brokers and agents are exploiting innocents he explained.Poverty is the main reason in north Andhra districts for migrations, besides it lack of irrigation facilities and poor industrialization also leading to shifting of workers to other areas explained an NGO, Bejjipuram Youth Club (BYC) coordinator, B.Prasada Rao. Srikakulam has good natural resources like five main rivers, Vamsadhara, Nagavali, Mahendratanaya, Bahuda and Suvarnamukhi.

Three major irrigation projects are in progress of Vamsadhara, Nagavali and Mahendratanaya rivers as a result irrigation facility is not adequate in the district. Except pharmaceutical and pesticide industries other major units are not in existence in the district. Proposed Bhavanapadu port in Santhabommali and special economic zone (SEZ) in Ranastalam mandals will take more time for its completion.