Patna, (Bihar Times): If the study done by an international agency, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, is to be believed that Bihar annually earns more than 9,000 crore in the form of remittance from migrant workers living all over the country. And if the figure of those living abroad is added than the amount may rise further as Bihar after Kerala and Andhra Pradesh is the third highest exporter of skilled and semi-skilled hands to the world, especially the Middle East, United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Pix: Manish Sinh Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Modi while inaugurating the high level meeting on Migration organised by the ODI in Patna also disclosed a revealing fact that only last year 30,000 labours from Bihar have migrated to different countries of the world. The ODI study conducted by Priya Deshingkar of ODI and Ajay Kumar of Bihar Times also says that the money orders sent by migrant labourers to their families amounts to approximately Rs 450 crore every year. What is surprising is that this is only five per cent or so of the money which comes to Bihar. The rest comes through co-villagers. And at times the seasonal migrants bring money once they are finally back at the end of the season. Besides, there are several private money order firms operating like internal Hawala flourishing in many parts of North India. Most of the beneficiaries of these private money order companies are Bihari migrants living outside the state. Besides, labour class there are thousands of skilled and educated youths living outside the state who pump money through different ways: bank drafts, private couriers, friends and relatives. The amount sent through postal money order was even higher about five years backit was as high as Rs 700 to 800 crore, but it declined because more and more people started relying on private money transfer firm. This because the official money order charges more money. Besides,sometimes postmen deliver the amount after much delay as they lend the amount to earn interest from these amount. Bihari migrants of Delhi send maximum amount of money to be followed by those living in Punjab and West Bengal. These migrants are not educated enough to have their bank accounts. It is only the skilled and semi-skilled migrants living within the country and outside who rely on banks and Western Union to transfer money back home. If that amount is added Bihar would certainly become the largest overall remittance earner in the country. True there is very few industry in essentially agrarian Bihar, but its rich human resources have really brought about a big social and economic changes in the last two decades. This has both positive and negative impacts. While money is getting pumped into the state from different ways there is rise in social tension within the family, marital discords have increased and incident of rapes have also risen significantly. According to the Census 2001 the number of permanent migrant labourers going out of the state stand at over 24 lakh. The figure had got doubled between 1991 and 2001. This figure does not include seasonal migrant labourers estimated at around another 70 lakh and working almost everywhere across the country. Comment T he news is very encouraging that biharis are remitting to their home land, this proves two things ,one they are hard workers and that out side state or the country they are most law abiding too, but the question arises what the goverment is doing for those who come back home from form differnt state or out side the country, there is no programme at the government level to cater to the needs of the NRI's from Bihar.



DR ANWER AHSAN

DAMMAM, KSA aa_drpedsurg@yahoo.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- The remittances to our state can move number one among Indian states and this can help to development contribution a lot in all field In fact state government have to take (is taking but little) proper and effective steps towards Biharee human resources for long term basis and this must be above the political party level, religious level, cast level, area level etc. The perfect policies implementation to target our future generation destiny will sure boost us as "Harit Karanti" save millions of Indian from starvation. We must concentrate to improve skilled labour force and for that few section of the state has to be high quality level to compete others not only to migrate inside India but to the world market of human resource. 1) We need to maintain law & order to provide safety, securities by physically and mentally. 2) Education is the best way to counter maximum problems and we need high quality Industrial, Mechanical, Bio medical, Management institutes, colleges to produce high class Degree and diploma holder work force. 3) We need financial education institutes to produce, Charter accountant, Finance Management diploma / degree for finance executives Finance Managements for Non Finance executives. 4) Good infrastructure is also an assurance to bring developments and we need our main cities road to be maintained properly and make sure to provide connectivity from villages to towns. 5) "Patna Air Port" is ignored since long and it should be facilitate to provide international flights landing facilities either in same place or move to some where near to Patna ,Hajipur area. 6) There should be domestic airport in the simanchal area 7) Government should provide latest information and assistance to migrant or to be migrant work force in each districts headquarter. I hope our government will work positively toward my suggestions and these points are concerned by maximum Biharee expatriates including overseas Biharee all around the world. Helal Alam Ghazali Jubail Industrial City, KSA helalg@gmail.com



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