Following instances of plantation workers leaving estates, violating the lockdown rules, the district administration has been booking cases against planters. Officials have appealed to planters not to force their workers to leave until the lockdown is lifted.
Twenty-eight people, including nine children, were rescued by the Chikkamagaluru police on Friday night while they were on the way to Hagari Bommanahalli in Ballari district in a truck. The group was made to sit amid rice bags in the vehicle. The police shifted the workers to a safe place and booked a case against the driver of the truck, and the leader of the workers. The Belur police also booked a case against the estate owner — Mahesh Kumar, a medical officer.
The police in both Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts have registered similar cases against planters who sent their workers to their native places. Hassan Superintendent of Police R. Srinivasa Gowda said that so far, the district administration has rescued 80 workers and registered three cases. “We appeal to all planters not to send workers away when the lockdown is in forcee. If they have any difficulty in providing the workers food and shelter, they can contact the district administration,” he said.
Labour shortage
However, the planters argue that they are being blamed for no reason and that workers have been leaving on their own, eager to get back home. U.M. Thirthamallesh, president of Karnataka Growers’ Federation, told The Hindu that planters were looking for workers at the moment as they had a lot of work in the estates. The workers, who work in the estates only during picking season, return to their native place after the work is over.
“When the lockdown was declared, hundreds of workers returned to their homes at night. Planters are finding it difficult to retain them here,” he said.
He also appealed to the police to discuss the problem in detail with representatives of planters’ associations instead of registering cases and blaming them alone. “This is the time when we prepare the estates for next year’s harvest. Many planters are facing a shortage of workers.”
