Lack of ATMs make Valparai tea estate workers’ life hellish

Coimbatore: The tea estate workers in Valparai have long been facing problems with their salaries. No, it isn’t about getting the salary, which is deposited in their bank accounts in the second week of every month without any fail. It’s all about withdrawing the same.
According to N Muthulakshmi, one of the tea estate workers, it’s the toughest week of the month for her ilk and they dread as the week nears.

With just three automated teller machines (ATMs) of nationalized banks in Valparai for a population of more than 70,000 (as per the 2011 census) plus the floating tourist population, the tea estate workers are forced to wait in long queue for days together to withdraw their salaries. There are about 56-60 tea estates in Valparai and they together employ more than 20,000 workers.

“I would prefer working day and night instead of waiting in front of ATMs a whole day and return cashless,” said Muthulakshmi, who earns nearly Rs 300 a day for slogging in the hot sun. It usually takes her at least three-four days’ relentless efforts to withdraw cash from ATM. “I have no other option but to stand in queue for my turn in front of ATMs for all these days.”

M Sakthivel, another worker, expressed a similar view. “I wouldn’t mind waiting for an entire day. But the problem is ATM would become cashless within an hour or two and bank authorities would take at least a day to refill it. We will have to return the next day and what await us is similar tale.” Most of the workers withdraw their entire salary at a time, as they could not afford to visit ATMs often.

Pointing out that they had to report for work at sharp 8am, failing which they had to forgo a day’s salary, Sakthivel said they were losing three to four days’ wage every month by waiting to withdraw cash from ATMs. “This affects our budget badly. Sometimes, we travel all the way to Aliyar or Pollachi to withdraw cash from ATMs. Though it requires a day and an expense of Rs 100, we would lose only a day’s work.”

It is to be noted that tea estates are at least 7km away from Valparai town and buses are available only once in one or one and half hours. M Ponnusamy, another tea estate worker, said waiting for buses itself was a burden for them. “We cannot travel after 6pm because of movement of wild animals and lack of frequent buses. It leaves us with just one option – compromise on our wages to withdraw our hard-earned salary.”

P Paramasivam, general secretary of CITU, said ATMs would be dry during government holidays and Sundays, forcing tea estate workers to approach shopkeepers to swipe their cards for cash at a high commission. “Shopkeepers charge at least Rs 300 for every Rs 500 they swipe.” He said they had escalated the issue several times, but in vain.

When contacted, lead bank manager S Venkataramanan said they have not received any complaint till date but he assured to take up the issue at the bankers’ meeting that is held every month. “We always arrange for mobile ATMs whenever there is demand.”