Real estate projects worth Rs 45,000 crore halted due to migrant workers in Telangana
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Telangana government is providing special trains to send migrants workers to their native places. However, the migration of workers has formed darkness on realty projects worth Rs 45,000 crore in and around Hyderabad. The projects are now at a further delay in project delivery schedules.
The real estate industry in Hyderabad, which saw a boom over the last year, is feeling the heat due to the return of the migrant workers to their respective native places. “Over 80% of the workforce in the real estate sector comprises migrant workers, particularly from Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, Rajasthan, and MP.
This departure of the workers will obstruct the projects, mainly those that are in the final stages of construction and more so, as the constriction activities have just returned after weeks of lockdown restrictions.
Telangana Real Estate Developers Association (TREDA), estimated that projects, both residential and commercial, measuring around 300 million square feet, are being held up in and around Hyderabad.
The majority of the migrant workers to Telangana are construction workers – both skilled and unskilled – who are involved in various real estate projects and construction activities.
Due to a nationwide lockdown, over 5 lakh migrants are stranded in Telangana. Out of the 5 lakh laborers, over 3 lakh skilled and unskilled laborers are employed in building construction and allied industries. The State government has assured the migrants that the construction activities will start soon and the government is ready to take care of them.
According to K Chandrashekhar Rao, Chief Minister, Telangana, the State government as arranged 40 special trains to ferry the migrants. If the migrants want to stay, the government is ready to take care of them, and the construction activities will resume soon. However, the migrants are free to decide about the course of action.
Most of the workers who are returning to their native places in batches belong to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Chhattisgarh. While the first batch of 1,200 construction workers left for their native places in Jharkhand from Hyderabad earlier. The Telangana government has arranged to ferry the rest of them by arranging special trains.
On 5th May 2020, 12 special trains have been arranged carrying over 15,000 migrants workers, left for their native places. And on the 6th of May another 3-trains, carrying over 4000 workers departed from Hyderabad.
The state government had made arrangements for 40 special trains on a daily basis for this stranded migrant workers.
