25,000 non-local brick kiln labourers to enter Jammu to go to valley to resume their jobs
Jammu Tawi, July 19: In the midst of an upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, some 25,000 non-local brick kiln labourers from various states will arrive in the valley to resume their jobs.
Labor Commissioner Kashmir Abdul Rashid War, the officer who manages the labor movement, told that 25,000 labourers are expected to arrive by the end of next week. They'll all be checked before they go to work, he said.
“Approximately 25,000 more brick kiln labourers were needed in Kashmir. They ‘d been needed as brick prices were through”, War said.
Nonetheless, there is a sense of fear among the common people at such an influx of outsiders.
A video recently went viral on social media showing labourers, somewhere on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, alleging that when they arrived in Kashmir they had not been screened for Covid19.
The timing of this influx of people also raises questions, given that Covid positive cases detected in J&K breached the 13k mark and 232 Covid-19 patients died.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole told Kashmir Reader that people need not worry as the workers who come to Kashmir will be brought in a guided move from Lakhanpur in Jammu. “At Lower Munda in Jammu, laborers will be screened before they reach Kashmir.
We've taken more than 10,000 samples in the last 5 days. There's no reason to worry, “said Pole, adding people should be more worried about people not wearing masks and not keeping social distance.
Pole also said there are no rules limiting the number of employees working in brick kilns.
He also said Jammu labourers do not need to be tested for Covid-19 before they enter Kashmir.
The brick kiln industry in Kashmir currently has only about 1,000 labourers in place, compared to the 25,000 in 300 brick kilns expected. The lack of sufficient labor affects production and in recent weeks, brick prices have risen sharply.
Because of the valley's weather conditions, brick kilns operate from mid-May through fall of November. Allied building industries like masonry, carpentry, and painting are also facing a shortage of labor. For now, the arrival of more labourers will be a relief to industry.
