New Delhi, April 11 : Biharis working in the national capital account for the highest monetary remittances to their home state, amounting to millions of rupees, says a study.
Trailing them closely in the list are Bihari migrants in Punjab, West Bengal, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to the London-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
Ajay Kumar, the editor of Bihar Times who along with Priya Deshingkar of ODI conducted the study, said that money orders were the main instruments used to send money to rural Bihar.
It is not only poor labourers and small-time self-employed Biharis in New Delhi who send money to their families in Bihar. Everyone does.
Why does Delhi figure on top of the list?
The Indian capital and surrounding areas are home to nearly one million Biharis. Many work at construction sites or drive rickshaws or auto-rickshaws. Many are engaged in petty business. The educated are into white-collar employment.
According to ODI, the total value of money orders sent to Bihar from other parts of India was Rs.450 crores in 2005-06. But this represents a fraction of the total.
Money orders are slowly losing appeal as other remittance mechanisms are becoming popular.
"Until recently migrants used to send remittances through money orders, friends and relatives. But money orders are slow and inefficient (they can take up to 30 days in rural areas), and sending (money) through friends ... is risky.
"Private agents who transfer money electronically through social contacts are becoming more popular," the report said.
Banks are also becoming a safe route to send money, with more and more migrants opening bank accounts in places where they work.
Figures of migration from Bihar run into millions but no exact figures are available.
According to the 2001 census, the number of migrant labourers going out of the state in search of work was over 2.4 million. This does not include seasonal migrant labourers whose figure runs into millions.
An officially accepted fact in Bihar is that there is hardly a household without one or two members having migrated outside for jobs or education.
Both the census and National Sample Survey (NSS) reports suggest that Bihar has the highest rate of gross inter-state migration in India.
(IANS)
Circular migration discussed in Patna
it was nice to note that Bihar's highest migarnts earnings comes from
delhi, the study shows that biharis are contributing in the
development of the national capital, if the opprtunity is provided in
the state very few would prefer to live out side their own state, the
study can be an eye opener for the politicians of Bihar ,whose
indifferent attitude and lack of vision make the people migrate out of
the state,
but the question arises what make ODI, do such a study?economy,health
and eduation are the three basic parameters which causes mas exodus of
working class of any state or even country, and of course Bihar lacks
behind in all these parameters.
thanks to the hard working biharis for their highest migrant earnings.
Dr Anwer Ahsan
Dammam, KSA
drahsan1954@gmail.com
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One also needs to study the Bihari money going out to educate its youth due to lack of educational facilities in Bihar. This plays a huge role in impoverishing an already poor state.
Thakur Vikas Sinha
