Construction of Wayanad Township; Estate workers satyagraha from today

KALPETTA: The workers will observe a satyagraha from today on the land where the initial construction of the township for the victims of the Wayanad landslide has begun. The workers of Elston Estate are observing the strike. The strike is led by a joint trade union including CITU.

The strike is against the construction of the township without paying salary arrears and benefits. The workers have warned that they will intensify the strike if a solution is not found soon. The construction work for the township began yesterday.

The high court had the other day clarified that 78.73 hectares of land in Elston Estate can be acquired for the rehabilitation of the victims of the Wayanad Mundakkai-Chooralmala disaster and that the government should deposit Rs 17 crore for this. This is in addition to the Rs 26.51 crore deposited earlier. The government had acquired the land for the model township to be built in Elston Estate. The Wayanad District Collector acquired the land following high court order. The government established the board by acquiring 64.4705 hectares of land and Kuzhikoor Chamayams in Kalpetta Village Block 19 re-survey No 88. As per the court's interim order, the government had earlier given permission to inaugurate the construction of the township by depositing Rs 26.51 crore in the high court. Elston's argument is that the 78.73 hectares of land to be acquired is worth Rs 549 crore and the compensation is not fair.