Concerns raised after 13 Bidar daily wagers killed in accidents on NH-65 in last 4 years
BIDAR For families in Bidar South, travelling to Telangana for daily wage work has become a risky necessity
In the last four years, 13 daily wage workers from Bidar South have died in accidents on National Highway 65 while returning to their homes in Bidar, with 12 of the victims being women. The most recent incident occurred on Tuesday night when an autorickshaw carrying 12 workers from Rajgira village was struck by a speeding tanker near Zahirabad in Telangana, resulting in six fatalities at the scene.
This has sparked concerns about why workers are crossing state borders when employment programs are supposed to offer jobs closer to home. Villagers attribute this trend to a lack of regular local employment opportunities. The latest major accident happened on November 4, 2022, when seven laborers from Udumanalli village were killed in a collision near Bemalkheda, also returning from Telangana after working there.
The rural development minister, Eshwar Khandre, acknowledged that villagers have been migrating for work for years and emphasized the need for local employment opportunities. He also requested an increase in wages from the Central government to ₹800, as the current VB-GRAM G program offers only ₹382. Former MLA Bandeppa Kashempur has repeatedly raised the issue in the legislature, calling for more employment under VB-GRAM G and urging the government to create industries in the region.
Village representatives argue that denying employment to locals forces them to seek work in neighboring states, potentially causing such tragedies.
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