Repair and maintenance of dilapidated row houses called ‘layams’, where plantation workers live, at Bonacaud will begin soon after Onam, Minister for Labour V. Sivankutty has said.
He was speaking at a meeting attended by Minister for Finance K.N. Balagopal in connection with renovation of the layams at Bonacaud on Thursday.
The Minister said an amount of ₹2.71 crore had been sanctioned for the renovation of the layams through the Plantation Workers Relief Fund Committee, chaired by the District Collector. The district Nirmithi Kendra had been tasked with the construction. The committee would monitor the work.
Layams in three closed-down divisions of the Bonacaud estate that shut down completely in March 2015 would be repaired. As many as 155 families live in 34 layams across the three divisions.
The Ministers visited the layams that are in an inhabitable state.
Budget allocation
Mr. Balagopal said that an amount of ₹10 crore had been earmarked in the State Budget for development of the layams in the State. Legal and technical problems in connection with the Bonacaud estate continued to persist. However, the layams were being rebuilt as a welfare project for the workers. Attempts would be made to address the technical hurdles in the estate’s functioning, the Minister said.
Mr. Sivankutty said the Labour Secretary had been asked to hold a meeting with estate management representatives in this connection. Mr. Sivankutty would chair the meeting. The issue of starting more bus services to Bonacaud would be examined.
Steps would be taken to reopen the Bonacaud school that had closed down owing to lack of students.
G. Stephen, MLA, presided over the meeting. Vithura grama panchayat president Manjusha G. Anand, district panchayat member A.N. Mini, Labour Secretary Ajith Kumar, District Collector Geromic George, Additional District Magistrate Anil Jose J., trade union leaders, and families living in the layams were present.
