COVID-19: Contractors of stalled infra works struggle with labour problems

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has restarted several infrastructure works. While this spells good news for citizens who hope that these pending works will be completed in time, the BBMP’s direction has contractors worried, as they are grappling with labour issues.

Over the last few days, thousands of migrant workers have left the city, while those that have been forced to stay back due to the cancellation of trains, are trying to leave.

BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar stated that approved works and those that had stopped due to lockdown in the projects, road infrastructure, lakes and stormwater drains departments have been taken up. “Instructions have been issued to the engineers concerned to ensure that the deadlines are adhered to,” he said and added that the onus of ensuring that the labour force was adequate is the responsibility of the contractors.

A contractor who spoke to

The Hindu , said that only 10% of his labour force remains in Bengaluru. “Those that are here want to go to their hometowns,” he said. He is trying to contact those who had left the city asking them to return in a month.

Another contractor claimed to have managed to convince labourers to stay back. “Most of the migrant workers with us have been involved in infrastructure projects over the past couple of years,” he said.

BBMP’s chief engineer (projects) N. Ramesh and chief engineer (stormwater drains) Prahallad B.N. admitted to labour issues. Mr. Ramesh said that the executive engineers had been directed to take up spot inspection and submit a report on the progress of work and whether the deadlines will be met.

Mr. Prahallad said that the contractors were compensating the reduction in labour by using more machines. “There has been a shift from labourers to the use of machines to execute works,” he claimed.