By Sabyasachi Roy
KOLKATA, Sept. 10: The agreement between the state government and the representatives of the Paschim Banga Krishi Jomi Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee might have encouraged the unwilling farmers of Singur but the future of 3,000 people engaged as day labourers in the ancillary units remains uncertain. Following the agreement between the state government and the Trinamul Congress, the ancillary units were asked to put construction work on hold for a week. After this, all ancillary units located inside the project area have stopped construction work, leaving these day labourers in deep trouble. More than 2,000 workers from Talbhomra, Singher Bheri, Kasher Bheri, Gopal Nagar, Bera Beri, Bajemelia and Joymollah were engaged as day labourers by some 33 ancillary units, which had started construction work. These people used to get Rs 70-110 as daily wages, depending on their nature of work. They were paid every weekend. With the suspension of work, the day labourers have virtually become jobless. Mr Anupam Koley from Koleypara said about 700 people of Singur were employed in the ancillary units. They were treated as group-D staff as they had to carry out loading, unloading and other work. “The people engaged as group-D staff by the ancillary units belong to the families of willing farmers and sharecroppers (bargadars). Around 2,300 people were engaged on contract basis by the contractors. They were mainly engaged in plantation and digging of soil. Some were also engaged as masons, labourers, and carpenters,” he added. The labourers have been jobless since the dharna started. They were not paid from the last week of August as all the companies closed their offices from 2 September when the Tatas announced the cease-work, said Mr Sandip Das from Bera Beri. Even people who belong to the families of unwilling farmers have experienced the same problem. Mr Santhosh Das, whose father refused to give up his farmland for the Tata project, said: “Our farmland was acquired and we had lost our job as agricultural labourers over the past three years. As the project started here, many of us got the opportunity to earn but now all of us are jobless.” (END) Source : The Statesman
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