Makar Sankranti has brought production at Adityapur-based industries in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district to a halt, thanks to mass absenteeism of workers.For atleast one week from today the production in small and medium enterprises will come down to 30 per cent, as most of the labourers went on leave to their native places to celebrate Tusu ( a harvest festival) and Makar Sankranti.
A section of industrialists had even offered incentives to workers to draw them to work . " We declared special incentives to retain the workers during the festival. Even then production gets hampered as there are very few who accept the incentives," said an official of an ancillary unit of Tata Motors.
He went on to say that as Tata Motors has given us fresh orders. " The automobile giant has set a target of producing an increased number of vehicles in the month of January. Therefore, the ancillary units have got a good number of orders. But, with workers going on leave for Makar Sankranti festivity production will get affected. Moreover, we will not be able to meet the deadlines," he said, adding that it will take atleast a week to resume normal production.
Officials of Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA), a leading industry outfit of Kolhan region, said that production loss during the festival is expected to be several crores. " Many small units would remain closed for the next 3-4 days while those units which are open will manage production with skeleton strength," said Santosh Khetan of ASIA.
Notably, the strength of workers in Adityapur industrial area will be around 30,000 including contractual labourers. The number of small, medium and large scale industries would be around 1400. Tusu, one of the popular festivals brings joy and happiness to the people, particularly tribals but for the industries and owners of eateries here bring huge losses. In the steel city and adjoining districts of Seraikela-Kharsawan and West Singhbhum 80 percent of the hotels that include tea stalls, small and medium scale eateries and few of the popular restaurants pull down their shutters for three consecutive days at least, as it is difficult for them to run business due to crisis of labourers.
Kamal Gorai, a worker engaged in a rubber manufacturing unit said, " I had taken leave for five days to celebrate Tusu with my family and friends. I will leave for my native place Khunti today. It's our traditional festival and I don't want to miss celebrating with my family. I will resume duty on January 18."