Agri dept officials inspect migrant workers job in Ranipet district

RANIPET: District Agriculture officials visited various farms in Ranipet where migrant workers from West Bengal were working on Monday following these columns highlighting how local demand had resulted in three teams of 48 workers arriving for transplantation of paddy for the ongoing late samba season.

Senior officials, including Agriculture JD (In charge) Selvaraj accompanied by Kaveripakkam Agriculture AD Shanmugam and AAO (assistant agriculture officer) Akash inspected the work of the migrants. Expressing happiness over the pace of work, the officials said this was an eye-opener for locals who could not complain of their work being taken away by outsiders as they arrived only due to the non-availability of local labour.

Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam youth wingstate president R Subash, who was instrumental in getting the first three teams of migrant workers told DT Next that “the 48 persons who arrived earlier, included groups of 19, 14 and 15 individuals, who were now working in various fields.”

“However, seeing the migrants pace of work, the remuneration offered to them and the total absence of any issues has resulted in increasing demand from farmers from even nearby Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts,” Subash said.

“Hence we have asked for another 5 teams consisting of around 75 persons to come and they are expected to arrive at Arakkonam on Tuesday, he added.

Meanwhile, local farmers expressed happiness over recent rain that has helped fill irrigation tanks, “which will ensure that we have a good paddy season,” said sangam’s Ranipet district president CS Mani.