Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 24: A company based in the city and engaged in construction projects has arranged for a special bus to bring 35 workers from Malda district in West Bengal to the city. The bus is scheduled to reach here on July 28.

The company has spent Rs two lac to bring the workers for executing its construction project. The bus left the city on July 18.

Most of the workers hired in the construction projects here are from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. These workers are sincere and skilled as compared to workers from other areas, it is said. The builders therefore heavily rely on them for their projects.

Representational image

After lockdown was announced in the state, these workers had migrated to their native places. After the lockdown was withdrawn, the construction industry has been suffering from acute shortage of labour. The same company had twice in the past got five experienced construction supervisors each from West Bengal by flight.

As the workers need to travel nearly 400 km to reach the airport at Kolkata, a semi-sleeper bus has been arranged instead of flight, and the bus is on the way to Malda from Kolkata, it is learnt.

Malda district is located on the Indian border with Bangladesh. As the distance between the two places is about 2,550 km, the bus travels a total of over 5,100 km. The builders explain that construction projects which are stranded cost them dearly as interest on investment and other expenses continue to mount. Completion of projects on time is very important not only because of financial implications but also reputation. They are under obligation to keep up promises made to those who have booked spaces in the buildings.