Mango business in Malihabad affected by labour shortage

Malihabad (UP), May 10 (ANI): The Mango business in Uttar Pradesh's Malihabad town is suffering losses as most of the labourers have moved to areas offering jobs under the Central Government's rural employment act.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) gives jobs to people living in rural areas.

Mango growers say that there is no loss in production, but they needed labourers for lifting and carting boxes of mangoes to the markets.

"We have to go 60 to 70 kilometres away to fetch labour. When we ask them to come, they just keep on saying that we will come but they do not. Then we have to go there again. Earlier, we used to send some of our men but now we have to go ourselves to make them understand," said Nazmi Abdullah, a mango grower.

Labourers said that the mango-growers do not pay them adequate wages whereas for working the MGNREGA jobs, they work fewer hours and get more wages.

"We have to work here for about six to seven hours and there we have to work for 24 hours. We are more benefited as we get more money here" said Babu Lal, a worker.

"They are not even sure that the mango-growers would pay them after working long hours, whereas their income from the MGNREGA job is fixed," he added.

The MGNREGA, which was enacted in 2005 by the United Progressive lliance (UPA), was set up with the twin objectives of rural development and employment. (ANI)