Guest workers stay back in Nilgiris, resume work

Udhagamandalam: The guest workers in the Nilgiris haven’t shown any inclination to leave the district, while their counterparts in other parts of the state have been protesting the delay in packing them home.
There are 7,552 guest workers in the Nilgiris. They are from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. Initially, 700 of them had uploaded their details on the government website, expressing their interest to return home.
Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya said, “More than 50% of them are working in tea estates, which resumed operations two weeks ago. As construction activities have also started in the district, some others are roped into highways works and Public Department Works (PWD) projects.”
She said they hadn’t arranged any special camps for the guest workers, who have been staying at their earlier accommodation facilities, in the district. “There is also no report of stranded guest. Before the state announced special kits for them, the revenue department had ensured them food and other essential items for at least two weeks.”
The collector said they had distributed the government kits to 2,928 guest workers, who are working in the plantation sector. “The kits are meant for every worker. If two of a family are working, both of them will get a kit each. We have received another 2,722 kits and they would be distributed to the guest workers soon.”
Divya said 100 of the 700 applicants, who have registered to visit their hometowns, have been verified. “They are not planning to leave the district once and for all. It is that time of the year when they usually visit their families. So, they have registered on the portal.”