The beedi industry will resume operations in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts from April 20, according to Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada.

Dakshina Kannada has 1.90 lakh beedi workers and Udupi has 21,000. The owners of beedi companies have agreed to provide 50% employment to beedi workers in both the districts, he said in a statement.

The entire beedi industry had come to a standstill since the lockdown and.

Mr. Poojary, who is also the Minister for Ports, Fisheries, Inland Water Transport and Endowment, said that the government has appealed to the beedi companies to pay the bonus to the workers early, without waiting till the usual Krishnasthami or Ganesh Chaturthi festival seasons. The owners have said that they will take a call on the same in a few days.

The functioning of the industry will be reviewed after a fortnight, the Minister said.

He said that in the first phase, the government has credited ₹2,000 to bank accounts of 6,122 construction workers in Dakshina Kannada from the Labour Welfare Fund. The money will be credited to the remaining workers in the second phase.