Outreach in bid to bring workers back to Ghaziabad

GHAZIABAD: The exodus happened in large numbers but factory owners struggling with labour shortage could see hope in a trickle in the other direction.


In the past 10 days, more than 900 migrant workers — who left Ghaizabad for their home districts in UP — have been ferried back in roadways buses.

The district administration has also asked industries to get in touch with migrant workers who have already left for their home states or districts and convince them to return.

“Industry owners are in contact with migrant workers who had left Ghaziabad, and many of them have expressed their desire to return. We arranged 10 roadways buses and brought back some 900 workers from Hardoi, Shahanpur, Kasganj, Eta, Mainpuri, Mirzapur and Allahabad,” said Virender Kumar, deputy commissioner of industries.

Ghaziabad district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said there are over 2.75 lakh workers who chose to stay back during the lockdown and “they are currently working in around 16,000 industries across Ghaziabad”.

“There are over 27,000 registered small-scale industries in Ghaziabad, of which 16,000 are in operations. Of a total of six lakh registered workers, some 2.75 lakh workers are already working here,” the district magistrate said.

Ghaziabad is an industrial city, known for producing engineering products, pharmaceuticals and garments in over 4,600 small-scale industries, 150 medium-scale industries, 27,000 micro industries and 45 heavy industries.

“Industries dealing in medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, packaging and food processing are working at 40% capacity and workers who have returned or who stayed back are already working, but heavy industries, garment and textile units have not opened. But the good part is that workers have started returning and with time these will also resume,” said Kumar.