Dearth of migrants workers hit building activity in Kashmir

Kashmir has been left facing an acute shortage of migrant workers this year with the building activities in the valley taking a severe burnt.

Though officials have no explanation for this unusual development, locals widely believe that the migrant workers may be shunning the valley, fearing reprisal against them due to attacks on Kashmiris outside the state after the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing that left 40 CRPF jawans dead.

Tens of thousands of migrant workers, who used to reach here from Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and elsewhere in the country by the last week of February or early March till last year are conspicuous by their absence this year.

These workers, both skilled and unskilled, have failed to show up in the valley so far, hitting the construction activities that usually resume in March at the end of three-month winter here.

The valley's labour market used to be so dominated by the migrant workers that the city's many landmark spots have been unofficially .