Anchal Vohra

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Anchal Vohra wrote a post :

Anchal Vohra

HANDS BUILDING DELHI


6th august 2009, was when I first met Geeta. 4ft tall, not more than 40 kgs, mother of three, Geeta is one of the 6 lakh workers contributing to the real estate boom in India's capital, Delhi. She was building my neighbours house, turning a simple one floor home into a 4 story complex. This complex now has ten flats. Residents- all expats. In the last 5 years defence colony in south Delhi has been inundated with expat tenants. Diplomats, journalists, MNC employees all seem to prefer defence for a variety of reasons, A market full of pubs, the famous defence bakery, Barista, CCD, Mocha.. where they can find ofcourse coffee [which they despise] bread [they think is NOT bread] and something that looks like a cake. More importantly wine and cheese which is home delivered. Along with the coffee shops and stores with food items like ham, bacon, chorizo... the foreigner tenant has brought dallars [$$$ read American] !!! so the unimaginable hike in rents. Each occupant in the complex geeta built, pays above 1 lakh as rent.



Geeta was paid 110 Rs a day. More money for the owners didnt translate into even a 100 Rs hike in Geeta's daily wage.
Visibly malnutrioned but Geeta walks in style. the big red dot, earings and lip colour was never missing. She often buys vegetables for the aunties in the block hoping to make 10 or 20 bucks as bakshish. For her family she can only afford potatoes, onions, tamatoes and green chilly. "Veggies cost more than Chicken, I have not bought fruit in 6 months. I can't afford mangoes. But in my Village Khatoli in western UP we had mango orchard" says Geeta.



She is not alone.


In just one square of A block in defence colony 6 construction projects are on at any given point. One complex emerges and two more single floor addresses are demolished. The owners clearly want to make the best of the real estate boom.
But whats in it for those building it?
Geeta introduced me to her friend Santosh..





Santosh has been working in the national capital for the last 14 years... ever since the real estate boom set in.. from the milliniuim city to the commonwealth stadiums.. Santosh has built it all...
From Malda district of West Bengal.. Santosh mothers 3 children.. while she left 2 with her neighbours in Malda.. 4 year old Plabon lives with her on the construction site.. a mound of sand as a play ground and some pebbles as toys... is all Santosh can offer to her little one..
 

Not even being paid minimum wages.. along with her husband.. the total earnings in a month range from 5-6000 INR.
"We are forced to come here, there is no work in Malda. We get one or two days work in a week. How can we manage?" echoing Geeta's story Santosh says MNREGA is not enough. 


"We havn't got work through MNREGA.. some people get some don't.. those who have contacts with the babus get the MNREGA card". 
Santosh gives a break up of her monthly earnings.

2-2500 is spent on food.. on carbohydrates essentially.. wheat, rice and potatoes..

No fruits, milk, or meat products..

1000-1500 goes in health, travel and other commodities..
8 months in Delhi and 4 in Bengal, Santosh lives a nomad's life, little that she is able to save by working in the national capital.. her family survives on, once she returns to her village. 
"I can only send 1000-1500 back home in 25 days.. what to do"
Her employer, the contractor who hired her, quick to wash his hands off any responsibility..
"These people are in and out.. so they are not permanent.. how can we insure them".

 

Mausami Basu, a JNU professor and researcher with Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, rubbishes that excuse.
"The contractors are meant to get a license under inter state migrant act.. its incumbent on them to register the workers under the inter state migrant act. There are a number of schemes to help these workers that they are not even aware of"

- According to building and other construction workers act- after 90 days of work, the worker must be registered with the welfare board..

- According to the inter state migrant act- over and above the wages.. the contractor is meant to provide transport, health and housing benefits..

- and all construction companies have to pay 1% of the total cost as labour cess.. for their welfare..

which the labour welfare board must provide to the labourers for a housing loan, scholarships for the education of their chidlren.. health facilities and even money for the wedding of their chidlren..
but for all of that.. the workers must first be registered...
 
Santosh and Geeta have not recieved any of the benefits. they are not even paid the minimum wages, but they simply don't have a choice.. migrant workers like them need to leave their families and come to metropolitan cities to work.. work so they earn the money their family will survive on for months.. Mausami Basu says in addition to being deprived of their benefits, their right to work is also under threat. "The contractors prefer men, not women for construction work, so the women are forced to work for even less"
 

Santosh first came to Delhi a week after her wedding "I didnt tell my kids.. I said I'm going to the market.. and I'll be back.. once I was in delhi I told them... they keep asking, when will you come back?

 

Geeta and Santosh's story mirrors the truth about lakhs of other workers building our homes, our roads and our flyovers. While their exploitation continues, the contractors hide behind the impermanent nature of a daily wagers profession.. labour department cries lack of resources.. the govt says- well look there are so many schemes.. the reality... Geeta and Santosh will be back to build another house.. in a posh Delhi area.. perhaps again in a posh south delhi colony. 

 

 
11 months ago

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