Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Encroachment: plantation workers take out march

Staff Reporter

Appeal to encroachers to vacate Chandanappally rubber estate

UP IN ARMS: Plantation workers taking out a march at Vakayar-Elappupara, near Konni, protesting against the encroachment on the Chandanappally rubber estate of the State Plantation Corporation, on Saturday.

PATHANAMTHITTA: Plantation workers owing allegiance to different trade unions in the Chandanappally rubber estate of the State Plantation Corporation took out a march in Konni on Saturday in protest against the encroachment of about 10 acres of the rubber estate by the Sadhu Jana Vimochana Samyukta Vedi supporters.

The workers owing allegiance to the CITU, INTUC and AITUC took out the march from Vakayar junction to Vallicaud-Kottayam junction, raising slogans against the illegal encroachment on Government land.

Plantation Workers Union (CITU) district president P.K. Somarajan inaugurated a public meeting held at the Vallicaud-Kottayam junction, later.

Pramadom grama panchayat president Sarasamma Thankappan presided over the public meeting.

INTUC district president Kodumon Gopinathan Nair delivered the keynote address.

Mr. Nair alleged that there was every reason to suspect a conspiracy behind the encroachment of the rubber estate of the State Plantation Corporation.

He said rubber tapping in an extent of about 60 acres had been stopped for four days following the encroachment of the plantation.

The Vedi workers encroached upon the Government estate on Tuesday night, protesting against the indifference on the part of the Government towards their demand for five acres of agriculture land along with a sum of Rs.50,000 each as rehabilitation expenses to all the landless people belonging to the Scheduled Caste sections.

AITUC leader M.V. Vidyadharan said the condition of the plantation workers was worse than that of the encroachers.

Mr. Vidyadharan called upon the encroachers to vacate the estate without further delay, lest it may lead to a conflict between the workers and the encroachers. Mr. Somarajan alleged that a prominent Vedi leader had reportedly purchased land and a house in the nearby locality the same day on which the encroachment took place.

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