Amar Khadka

As attraction to foreign jobs continues to make availability of workers scarce, factories along the Morang-Sunsari corridor have started sourcing laborers from the western region, promising extra perks and benefits.

Arihanta Multifiber, a factory based in Sonapur, has already hired 50 workers from the far west. The workers have been brought from Hasuliya village development committee (VDC). The factory paid Rs 1,500 per person to transport the workers.

“We are hiring 300 more workers from the same VDC,” said Govinda Bajagain, administration officer of Arihanta Multifiber. “In fact, they would have already reached Sonapur had there not been the general strike in different parts of the country,” he told Republica.

With most of the male members of the family moving out for overseas jobs, the industries in the region have been facing an acute scarcity of workforce. In order to overcome this shortage, the factories including Arihanta Multifiber had hired a large of number female workers. But now even that measure has failed. The company said it would now start providing them free residential facility.

“We have already built residential blocks that can accommodate 360 persons. Workers from the western region will be accommodated there,” said Bajagain.

“All the families in the VDC are very poor, and mostly earn their living by working in India. You barely find youth above 15 years in the village,” said Amit Kumar Chaudhary, who hails from the VDC and has been newly recruited by Arihanta Multifiber.

“In the absence of work, I used to take up seasonal jobs to support my family. So, I am very happy that the company hired me. I now have round-the-year job. I will be able to support my family members throughout the year,” he stated.

In absence of local workers, the company has been sourcing workers from various parts of the adjoining eastern districts.

“We pick up five buses full of workers every day from Rani Area of Biratnagar, Harinagara, Bhutaha, Amduwa, Chimadi, Laukahi and Inaruwa of Sunsari and drop them off after work,” said Bajagain. Arihanta Multifiber currently employs 4,500 workers. Of them, 1,300 are female.

Reliance Spinning Mills based in Khanar also said it would instantly need 300 more workers.

“Our existing workforce has sufficed only because we are operating in just two shifts due to power cuts. Once the power problem is addressed, we will fall short of workers,” said Dipak Babu Tiwari, administrator of Reliance Spinning Mills.

Not just Arihanta and Reliance, almost all industries in the corridor are facing scarcity of workers.

“There are no workers available in the district. But what is more troubling is almost a dozen workers quit job every month for foreign employment,” said Tiwari.

Reliance Spinning Mills employs 3,000 workers, including 900 females.

Similar is the plight of Raghupati Jute Mill and other 40,000 factories operating in the district. The problem is more severe in more than 500 large and medium scale factories based in the Morang-Sunsari corridor.

Published on: 18 May 2012 | Republica