The Hassan district administration has stopped many plantation workers who were on the way to their native places by walk. Around 35 workers, all natives of Tamil Nadu, who were working in estates at Belur, were stopped at Holenarsipur recently. All of them have been quarantined. Similarly, another group of workers were stopped by the officials and sent back to the estate.

Thousands of workers from different States work in coffee estates of Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts. Normally, a majority of them leave to their native places soon after the harvest season. However, this time they could not return due to lockdown. The police caught those who tried to move out illegally and put them in isolation centres, besides booking cases against estate owners.

After the lockdown was eased last week, many workers applied for passes through Seva Sindhu portal. The delay in clearing applications forced the workers to start journey by walk.

K.R. Srinivasa, tahsildar of Holenarsipur, told The Hindu: “As there are no restrictions on movement within the district, people take autorickshaws or some other vehicle to travel till check-posts. The officers at the check-posts do not allow people to travel without passes. We stopped 35 people and quarantined them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Sakleshpur Girish Nandan has conveyed to planters that the administration would not allow workers to travel without passes. The planters would have to take care of the needs of the workers and make arrangements for their travel when they get the passes. The workers would get passes only if the authorities at their native places clear their applications.