Elstone Estate Workers Demand Dues Before Township Work
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Synopsis
Workers at Elstone Estate in Wayanad refuse to permit the commencement of township construction until their outstanding payments are received. Despite the Kerala High Court ruling permitting the state to take possession of the estate, laborers are prepared to protest until their wages are settled.
Key Takeaways
- Elstone Estate workers demand unpaid wages.
- Kerala High Court allows state takeover of estate.
- Construction halted due to labor protests.
- Uralungal Labour Cooperative Society assigned township building.
- CM Vijayan confirms compensation payments made.
Wayanad, April 12 (NationPress) Employees of the Elstone Estate in Wayanad announced on Saturday that they will obstruct the commencement of township development until their outstanding payments are settled.
On Friday, the Kerala High Court granted the state government the authority to physically take possession of the 64 acres of land at Elstone Estate in Wayanad, which the Pinarayi Vijayan administration has acquired for the purpose of constructing the township.
In a social media update on Saturday, CM Vijayan stated that the government has already disbursed Rs 26.56 crore for acquiring the estate and has placed an additional Rs 17.77 crore in deposit.
"The High Court's ruling permitting the state to take control of the Elstone Estate was issued late Friday evening. The Wayanad District Collector finalized all necessary procedures for the takeover, and work commenced on Saturday," CM Vijayan explained.
The Uralungal Labour Cooperative Society has been assigned the responsibility of constructing the township for the victims of the Wayanad landslide. However, when their workers arrived with equipment to initiate preparatory tasks at the estate, they faced opposition from former employees of Elstone Estate.
"We have not received our wages for some time, and the company has informed us that all our dues will be cleared once they receive compensation for the estate takeover. Since we have not been compensated, we will not permit any work to progress until our payments are made. We will initiate a protest starting on Sunday," declared the aggrieved laborers.
Attempts by former CPI-M legislator C. K. Saseendran to appease the estate workers were unsuccessful.
In the meantime, Elstone Estate officials expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation awarded. Following the High Court's decision, the officials indicated they would appeal to the Supreme Court regarding their claims. However, the Vijayan government has submitted a caveat petition to the Apex Court.
Notably, on March 27, CM Vijayan laid the foundation stone for the Wayanad Model Township, which will include 430 new homes and a variety of additional facilities at the former Elstone Estate.
