Which Main? What Cross?: seshadripuram

January 12, 2009

1st Main, Seshadripuram

Lure of Bangalore series: Daily wage workers from different parts of India, waiting for work.

Across India, in every city, there are designated spots where skilled and unskilled workers wait to be picked up by contractors. So if you have are looking for skilled labour or if you have a skill that will earn you a day's work, this place in Seshadripuram and hubs like Jalahalli Cross (Near Peenya) are for you. If you are in Mumbai, you would have seen the major hub on SV Road, near Andheri Station or outside any major suburban train station.

This is a typical picture of India's Daily Labour Exchange.

After reading the above, Priyank adds a non-trivial trivia. He says that in Mumbai, the unskilled workers are usually from UP and Bihar and they form a separate group outside MIDCs (Industrial estates). They do the risky jobs and the rate of compensation in case of death is Rs.10,000/- (unverified). The case can't be very different in Bangalore. Cheap labour comes from the north these days for most jobs not just in Bangalore, but also in the fields of sugarcane-rich Mandya.