JAGATSINGHPUR: Despite strict restrictions imposed by the district administration on bringing in workers from outside the state in the wake of a spurt in coronavirus cases, there is no let up in the inflow as middlemen have found novel ways to sneak them in. 

In order to avoid detection, the middlemen are using rural roads to bring in the labourers from neighbouring West Bengal. On Saturday, Ramesh Bastia, a middleman from Mandashai, brought in around 46 workers from West Bengal and accommodated them in the building of a private building. 

The workers’ arrival led to panic in the area following which Haripur sarpanch Bimal Kumar Sethy apprised Biridi police of the matter. The workers on questioning by the police personnel in the presence of labour inspector and other block officials disclosed the name of the middleman and others. They were then sent back to their native places by the district administration. 

Every year, hundreds of daily labourers from West Bengal arrive in the district to work on the paddy fields. In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, the district administration has imposed restrictions on travel of locals to and from hotspots without valid passes. 

In order to check the influx of outsiders into the district, police personnel have been deployed on the border. However, the rural roads have been left unguarded. Paddy is being cultivated on 86,220 hectare land in the district. Even as planting of saplings is going on in full swing, owing to acute shortage of workers, farmers have been bringing in labourers from West Bengal through middlemen. 

Guideline violation

In order to avoid detection, the middlemen are using rural roads to bring in the labourers from neighbouring West Bengal. On Saturday, Ramesh Bastia, a middleman from Mandashai, brought in around 46 workers from West Bengal and accommodated them in the building of a private building. The workers’ arrival led to panic in the area