BENGALURU: Labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, employed at the APMC yard, are in terrible situation as they do not have identity cards on their person. These groups who visit the APMC yard from September to December every year for loading work have run out of all their money.
At least 1,500 labourers are employed at the yard and they are largely used to load onions which arrive from Raichur, Chitradurga, Kalaburagi and Davangere among other districts.
“The employers have promised to pay them a bit later as soon as they get hold of cash. Right now, their day-to-day food expenses are being taken care of by the employers,” said K Kumaresan, General Secretary of APMC Mandi Labourers Association.
They labourers have not carried their ID cards with them, due to which they cannot exchange the `500 and `1,000 currency notes in person at banks. “They cannot return to their hometowns right now in the midst of a busy loading season just for their identity proof. They are literally surviving on help rendered by their employers,” he added.