People in the valley in general and flood affected people in particular have begun to feel the brunt of escalation of prices of essential goods, vegetables and eatables in the city of Srinagar. In particular construction sector has come under heavy strain. As people need labourers, carpenters, masons and helpers either for repairing their houses or rebuilding these once again, there is acute shortage of labourers. Actually for past two decades, the labour population in the valley had gradually increased owing to the influx of labourers from outside the State, especially from UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, These outside labourers had almost taken over the farm and domestic services in the valley and were known for their dedication and hard work. But with the flash floods of the last month, the Government airlifted them away from Kashmir into other parts of the country they belonged to. This resulted in acute shortage of labour force in the valley. Consequently local labourers have increased rate of their daily wages and a carpenter or a mason charges Rs. One thousand a day and the unskilled labourer charges five hundred rupees a day. People have no option. Houses are to be repaired and cleaned. In many cases new houses have to be built. This is a stupendous task and will take years to complete. The Government should devise some definite policy about the wages of skilled and unskilled labourers. If the outside labourers have been airlifted, it was the duty of the Government to be very sympathetic to them. But that does not mean that security is to be ignored. We believe that the outside labour force that worked here and had to flee had no other option. But with the situation heading towards normalcy the labour will return to Kashmir and the entire process of labour employment will be regulated. Nevertheless, the Government must intervene and enforce wage management process so that there is rationality in the wages charged by the labour both skilled and unskilled. It should not be left entirely to the sweet will and arbitration of the labourers and their unions. People have suffered in floods and their suffering should not be made a ploy to fleece them when they need to repair or rebuild their houses.
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