TIRUNELVELI: The Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) administration has displayed the names of around 100 former Manjolai tea estate workers, who have been reportedly allotted free houses by the state government, at the Manimuthar checkpost on Monday.
Officials said those whose names are on the list would not be allowed to travel to their quarters at Manjolai, Naalumukku and Oothu areas in the hills. However, former Manjolai tea estate workers have strongly opposed the move.
The workers said that displaying their names publicly was an invasion of their privacy and appeared to be an attempt to name and shame them for availing government benefits. “Will the forest officials be okay if their names were publicly displayed for receiving benefits to which they are entitled?” they asked.
They claimed several families were yet to receive all the rehabilitation benefits promised by the government and that they should be allowed to visit the hills until the process was completed.
The development comes amid a dispute between the former tea estate workers and the forest department over their continued stay in the hills despite the closure of the Manjolai tea estates and the transfer of the leased land by the private tea estate company to the forest department.
The forest department has been insisting that the workers vacate the hill areas, citing directions of the Supreme Court. A fortnight ago, forest officials had stopped some former workers from travelling to Manjolai by a bus and later allowed them to proceed after instructing them to vacate their quarters as soon as possible.
Field Director of KMTR, R Murugan, said that he would inquire about the display of workers’ names with officials. “Anyone can obtain names of these beneficiaries from the government through RTI Act,” he added.
