Hyderabad: Fear grips industries as labourers pack their bags again

Rajendranagar: With the imposition of night curfew in the State, panic gripped migrant labourers working in industrial areas on the city outskirts, especially in Kattedan industrial area of Rajendranagar.

There are around 20,000 labourers working in nearly 600 industries spread in the Kattedan area. It is said that only biscuit manufacturing industries have around 10,000 workers from different States. Besides Kattedan, there are a significant number of industries in surrounding areas like Tata Nagar and Shastripuram which have employees from other States in considerable numbers.

Soon after the imposition of night curfew on April 20, buses packed with workers were seen leaving from the Kattedan area to predetermined destinations as they were in constant fear that the situation may worsen in the days to come that may prompt the government to take a call on imposing a full-fledged lockdown.

On Wednesday as well, several labourers working in Kattedan and Balanagar were seen waiting to board buses at Amma Garden, Rajendranagar to depart to their native places.

"We have no choice but to board for native places as the industry I am working with has decided to stop production for at least 15 days after the night curfew was announced. If we take much time to board the bus then labourers like me would land into trouble as the situation is unpredictable and could worsen anytime," rued Manoj, a labourer, who has been waiting for the bus since morning at Amma Garden, Kattedan.

"Around three buses with labourers departed from Amma Garden near Kattedan on Tuesday. The imposed night curfew infused fear among labourers working in different industries from Kattedan to Balanagar industrial area. They packed their bags out of fear. Government should announce its decision at least a week earlier so as to avoid a chaotic situation for already panicked labourers," said G Purniah, secretary CITU, Rajendranagar.