TIRUNELVELI: A section of the former labourers of Manjolai tea estate who had to vacate their hilly residential units and shift to the plains has demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation. They submitted a petition in this regard to District Collector Anand Mohan during the grievance redressal meeting on Monday.
The labourers also sought permission to visit the places of worship and graveyards of their ancestors in the hills once they move out.
The petitioners led by DMK councillor S Stalin suggested that the State government pay compensation to the workers from over Rs 1,000 crore the private tea estate company owes the State government.
“The tea estate labourers have been staying in the Manjolai, Oothu and Naalumukku settlements for four generations. As the 99-year lease period of the private company over the land is about to end in 2028, we have been asked to vacate the quarters. However, we do not have any livelihood opportunities in the plains,” the petitioners added.
Over 2,000 workers were there when the private firm wound up operations in 2024, this rendering them jobless. Most of them vacated the place though less than 100 people still residing in their estate quarters. He said that the company had only assured a compensation ranging from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 3.3 lakh as voluntary retirement benefits to the workers.
At the grievance redressal meeting, the residents of Keezha Pillaiyaarkulam near Manur petitioned to alter the route of the existing bus service to and from their village in order to benefit their school-going children.
“The village has around 2,000 residents. As many as 60 students from our village go to a government higher secondary school at Vadakku Chezhiya Nalloor village which is four kilometres away. However, there are no bus facilities to their school.
Our children will benefit if the mofussil bus which is plying between Tirunelveli Junction and our village is extended till the Vadakku Chezhiya Nalloor during the morning and evening trip,” the residents led by one K Karpagavalli said.
They also demanded a water tank and an additional transformer in their village. In Tenkasi, rail users urged the Southern Railway to convert the Shengottai-Tambaram tri-weekly express as a daily train. The petition in this regard was submitted to the district collector.
