RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: With over 2,000 farmers cultivating horticultural crops on approximately 5,000 hectares and employing over 50,000 workers, the Kadiyam Nurseries are renowned across India for their extensive collection of flowers and gardens.
Located 15 km from Rajamahendravaram, the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh in East Godavari district, Kadiyam Nurseries has recently been in the spotlight as a preferred destination for various tourism development projects.
However, behind the fame of these flower gardens lies the challenging reality faced by nursery workers, who lack proper facilities, with an urgent need for enhanced security, especially for women. The lack of security came to light following the recent gang-rape and murder of a 43-year-old nursery worker by local farm workers in Burrilanka village.
Despite the large workforce and an estimated annual business of approximately Rs 800 crore, government officials from the labour and women and child welfare departments have yet to conduct a comprehensive study on the working conditions of female workers in the region.
It is noteworthy that nearly 50,000 farm workers are employed in these gardens, about 25,000 of whom are women. Many of these workers have migrated from villages along the Andhra-Odisha border, North Andhra districts, and Chhattisgarh. Widespread criticism has been directed at nursery owners, who are accused of profiting significantly while neglecting worker welfare.
The 43-year-old victim, originally from Paralakhemundi, a municipality in Odisha, was gang-raped and murdered by four individuals on October 15. After the crime, the accused disposed of her body in a canal connected to the Godavari River. The police have since arrested the accused, who are now in judicial custody.
This incident has highlighted the need for improved security measures for women workers in the region.
On Sunday, CPM district secretary T Arun, AIDWA vice-president Sravanti, and secretary P Tulasi met with the victim’s family to offer their condolences. During the visit, Arun expressed concern over the working conditions in the nurseries, stating, “There is no security for women. We were shocked to witness the prevailing conditions in these nurseries. The victim has a son and a mentally challenged daughter. The State government should provide a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the family.”
Senior politician and Rajamahendravaram Rural MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdhary also visited the family, urging the police to ensure justice and offering financial support to the bereaved family.
Speaking to TNIE, South Zone DSP Bhavya Kishore said, “We also held meetings with nursery owners, instructing them to install CCTV cameras. We have gathered substantial evidence against the accused, and we will ensure they are punished according to the law.”
Nurseries Association president Mallu Polaraju told TNIE that they have been directed to install CCTV cameras and maintain attendance registers to help prevent such incidents in the future.