Pune, May 14 (PTI) With migrant labourers leaving Maharashtra in large numbers, industry bodies in Pune district on Thursday said that labour contractors are now `poaching' remaining workers.
As per the estimate of the Federation of Chakan Industries (FCI), around one lakh migrant labourers have so far left Chakan-Talegaon industrial belt.
"Only 50 to 60 thousand workers are left behind, and more people are leaving," said Dileep Batwal, secretary, FCI.
This was creating labour shortage, leading to poaching of remaining workers by labour contractors, he said.
"If this continues, it will lead to a serious problem of law and order and industrial activities will take a hit," he cautioned.
Industry representatives took up the issue in a meeting with Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar and asked him to formulate guidelines, he said.
"The government should counsel labourers and give them confidence that their livelihood will be taken care of but unfortunately nothing is happening and more and more people are leaving," he said.
Mhaisekar said that a report will be sent to the state government about industries' grievances.
To fill the vacancies created by departure of migrant workers, those who are returning from other states should be given skill-based training and hired, he said.
The commissioner also informed that over 35,000 migrant labourers have left from Pune division (which comprises Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur) by 28 special trains for their home states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.
