Economy at crossroads: Migrants repatriation will hit revival of economic activity in Telangana

Hyderabad: With four days to go for the lockdown 2.0 to end, is the Centre preparing a route map for the graded exit of the lockdown? If the signals that are emanating from New Delhi are any indication, the answer appears to be yes.

The latest decision of the Union government to repatriate the stranded migrant workers to their native states is being seen as another step in that direction.

This certainly comes as a big relief for the workers who are struck in various states and are in camps with no proper facilities.

While this news would be welcomed by the migrant labour, the Telangana government feels that it has a negative side as well. If the government repatriates the migrant workers, the state may face a severe shortage of skilled labour in the post-lockdown period. The government is not sure whether they will come back or not.

The government however is making necessary arrangements to send back the stranded students, pilgrims and tourists in Telangana in consultation with the respective states. The TS government will also bring back stranded Telangana citizens in different states by taking required safety measures at the earliest.

Following the Centre's guidelines, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar nominated Sandeep Kumar Sultania as nodal authority for the purpose. A protocol has also been developed for the movement of the stranded persons.

The state government will also provide the details of all stranded persons in the state to the Centre. The Chief Secretary said that it would be responsibility of other states to make transport arrangements to pick up the people from their states.

The nodal authority here will facilitate the movement of such persons. The nodal authority will also arrange for screening of the persons and will issue passes to asymptomatic persons for undertaking the journey so that they can move to their native state.

However, it is not known whether this would include the migrant labour stranded here. It may be mentioned here that nearly four lakh registered migrant labourers mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are working in the construction, hospitality, manufacturing and service sectors in the state.

About 80 per cent of them are in Hyderabad alone and most of them have been demanding that they be sent back. What is worrying the TS government is the apprehension that they may not come back after the lockdown was lifted.

This could affect the construction, hospitality and other such industries adversely.