Socio-Economic Profile and Factors Related to Migration of Migrant Fruit Sellers in Ludhiana-A Study

Migration of migrant fruit sellers in Ludhiana city by taking a sample of 80 migrant fruit sellers. The study revealed that the majority of the migrant fruit sellers were in the productive age group; mainly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Majority of them were living in pacca rented house and with an average of 6.86 members in the family. Most of the fruit sellers migrated from 1990 to 2000 to Ludhiana city and before migration 70 per cent of them were farmers. The main reasons of their migration were small land holdings, crop failure, low wages and fewer employment opportunities at their native place while some pull factors such as friends, relatives and family already settled in the city, besides better opportunities of employment and higher wage earnings were also responsible for their migration. About 30and 29 per cent of the respondents taken under study were Adhar card and voter cardholders in the city as their proof of identity and residence in the city. Nearly, 62 per cent of the migrant fruits sellers visited their native place twice or thrice a year and majority preferred to settle down in the city permanently.