Kerala - Kollam   

Candidates vow to address woes of cashew sector

Staff Reporter

KOLLAM: In a constituency that has 84 registered cashew factories, issues pertaining to cashew workers dominated the presentations made by the candidates from Eravipuram at a `Meet the Candidates' programme organised by the Kollam Press Club on Tuesday.

A.A. Aziz, sitting MLA and LDF candidate, said cashew workers would play a decisive role in bringing back the LDF to power. The UDF Government had driven thousands of cashew workers to starvation during the past five years, he alleged.

Mr. Aziz alleged that there was even an attempt on the part of the UDF Government to wind up the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC), which was set up by the LDF Government to act as a model employer in the cashew sector. The UDF Government had kept 30 factories of the KSCDC closed for four years now. This was done with the intention of helping the private sector embark on a commission processing spree, under which cashew workers would be paid only daily wages but no other statutory benefits.

Countering the allegation, the UDF candidate K.M. Shaji said the trade unions had not raised the real issues confronting cashew workers. He alleged that most trade unions in the sector had vested interests. This was the reason why the condition of cashew workers had not improved even after decades of trade union activity in the sector. He said the unions had not cared to draft any clear policy or scheme for the overall development of the cashew sector and submit the same to the Government.

He alleged that during the previous LDF rule, an amount of Rs.5 crores from the Cashew Workers Welfare Fund Board was diverted for other purposes and this had resulted in the Board being unable to pay the benefits to cashew workers. It was the UDF Government that had cleared the dues, he claimed.

Mr. Aziz denied that the funds of the Board had been diverted.

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