UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Contract labourers moving out from the cargo site at Begumpet Airport on Tuesday. — Photo D. Gopalakrishnan

HYDERABAD: In a move to safeguard the open lands at the Air Cargo Complex of the Begumpet Airport from encroachment, officials of Airports Authority of India on Tuesday made the labourers and workers vacate the place, who were temporarily living there in the makeshift huts.

As a result, more than anybody, it is the contract labourers who are the worst hit. Most of the contract labourers living here take up the work of grass cutting and laying of cables in the Begumpet Airport. Labourers coming here are mostly from Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar and Kurnool. They reside in the makeshift huts in the open lands of Cargo Complex till the contract work is completed after which they vacate the place.

Work pending

"We are living here for the past three years and we know that the day contract work is over, we have to vacate the place. But the problem now is we have to look for a new place since the work of grass cutting is pending and our contractor is talking to the authorities about the issue," says a labourer from Mahabubnagar. In the shadow of these contract labourers, many other local labourers who take up different works in the city also made the place their den. Though the contract labourers are allotted a temporary place by the airport authorities, outsiders are causing a problem, both in terms of security to the airport and safety of the land, officials said.

Taken for a ride

It is also learnt that some local politicians took the labourers for a ride saying that they would provide them land pattas and ration cards. "When we came to know about the issue, we were forced to take action and safeguard our lands," said an authority.

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