Reports from Haryana and Punjab suggest that railway stations are wearing a relatively deserted look this monsoon. The farm labours from Bihar and UP have been the mainstay of the agrarian economy of these two states.

Farmers making a beeline for railway stations across Punjab are offering double the wages. There have been reports of the migrant labours even getting offers of liquor and drugs.

Labours are being offered wages up to Rs 2,000 for transplanting paddy in one acre, which is more than double the wages given last year, though last paddy season too there was shortage of labours. In fact the increase in number of the central and state government construction schemes and even the partial success of NREGA is playing a key role in holding back the flow outside from Bihar and UP.

According to the Agriculture Department of Punjab the state requires nearly seven lakh labourers for sowing paddy over 26 lakh hectares in Punjab this season. Only 50 per cent of the requirement has reached Punjab so far when the fact is that the paddy-transplanting work is round the corner.

As if that was not enough the Bihar government has asked migrant labourers from the state to come back home. It has asked the migrant labours who want to return home but are being held back as bounded labours in different places outside the state to approach a special office in Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi. Trade union bodies like Central Indian Trade Union has appreciated the Bihar government appeal which was published in some newspapers.

Reports also said that in order to overcome this crisis, the Punjab government has provided 700 paddy transplanting machines to the farmers so far by offering a subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh for machines that cost between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 12 lakh.

Agriculture experts believe that introduction of technology on a mass scale was the only solution to mitigate the shortfall of farm hands in the long run.

They also say is that if this is the impact now when NREGA is not so successful, especially in Bihar, then what will happen when the scheme really succeeds.

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If there is little self pride left in the politicians and rulers of Bihar they should create an environment in Bihar itself so that its people do not migrate to other states and are not left on the mercy of Raj Thackrey and Bal Thackrey kind of people. This article gives an idea of the enormous disparity between rich states and poor states.

Bihar and its people through their hard work have enriched the soils of other states but what do they get in return: Only Bihar Bashing. It is the same Hariyana and Punjabi people who use the word Bihari as abuse in the streets of Delhi. Our leaders should also understand that why Bihar is given step motherly treatment in development? If Bihar gets developed then its hardworking people will not work as cheap laborers in other states. This is the reason Bihar has been systematically neglected in five year plans. 90 % of Bihar is having no electricity. There are hardly any central institutions. How will the industry develop when there is no power? How will the people get access to education when there are no good institutions? Most of the people have no access to television to know how other states have developed. Bihar has water but in absence of electricity and cheap irrigation facilities the productivity of agriculture is very less. All these cause migration of people. This is the reason politicians from other states will create all the obstacles in the development of Bihar. Bihar cannot develop when centre has its hand tied around its neck. Bihar needs power, Bihar needs flood control, Bihar needs mega projects, Bihar needs positive image in the minds of other people. All these are in the hands of central government but are very cleverly manipulated to the disadvantage of Bihar. The purpose is to maintain the uninterrupted supply of cheap labor which will construct buildings in Mumbai, Delhi and now South Indian Cities ; agriculture labors which will cultivate the fields of Punjab and Haryana; unskilled labors who will work in the factories of Gujrat. People of Bihar should now know the dirty minds of chauvinist people and revolt. I am against regionalism but here we have a situation in which a poor state has been kept poor for selfish motive of the other states. Simultaneously we should also realize that education, agriculture and tourism are three strong pillars which can make us a highly developed state and this will stop migration of people to other states which will automatically stop humiliation in the hands of Raj and Bal Thacrey kind of people.

A.Singh

anugrah_singh@yahoo.com