For hundreds of landless and even landed gentry from many states the Telangana is the new destination now. People from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra, Chattishgarh, and Karnataka are migrating to villages in Telangana in search of daily wage.
As the agricultural activity improved after the formation of Telangana state, there is a severe shortage of labour. People from other states saw this as an opportunity and are migrating to the state and many are employed in farming activity earning a decent wage.
Aravind Dongre from Madhya Pradesh says he got a seat in BSc (Agriculture) but he had to give up and come to Telangana. “We are in debt. I want to support my parents and came in search of employment to redeem my family from debts,” he said.
Pramod from Balda village of Nalanda district in Bihar state said he had been coming to Telangana for the past eight years and working in a rice mill in Suryapet district as a tractor driver earning Rs 700 per day. He came with 50 other families from his state.
Babatosh belonging to Gosaba district in West Bengal 24 Parganas district said they do not get daily wage employment there and hence he comes to Telangana in search of work. He earns Rs 1,000 per day and works for 50 days a year here and returns home.
P M Jadav of Karnataka says he owns four acres of land but they are parched due to lack of irrigation water. He came to Telangana and works as a tractor driver. He said he brought 50 families from his place.
The agricultural activity in Telangana increased owing to improved irrigation, free power supply, input assistance in the form of Rythu Bandhu among farmer-friendly initiatives.
Once people from many districts of Telangana used to migrate to other states in search of livelihood but now there is reverse migration. The purpose of separate Telangana is part of this development and aspiration.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao