Rubber Board has launched a new scheme to introduce labourers from other states to rubber plantations in Kerala.
The move comes in the wake of an an acute shortage of agricultural labourers in the plantaion sector in the state, especially in rubber. With migration of labourers from agri sector to construction and transportation, plantation sector is hardly getting experienced labourers.
In most of the plantations, workers from other states are engaged and their inexperience is said to cause losses to the agriculture sector. As per the new scheme, selected workers from Kerala and other states would be given intensive training in the Board’s Tapping Schools.
Workers from other states having valid electoral identity card would be brought to Kerala, after obtaining necessary clearance from the police and medical authorities concerned. After training, they would be allotted to holdings which are already identified.
The whole programme would be implemented with the involvement of Rubber Producers’ Societies (RPSs) and the Tapper Banks under their control.
Under the new scheme, the Board will meet the entire expenses of the trainees for their journey from native place to Kerala and will also provide an allowance of Rs 150 a day for each trainee and their accommodation will be arranged in the Board’s Tapping Schools.
The trainees in batches of 20 will be given 30 days intensive training and their accommodation will be arranged in the Board’s Tapping Schools. Training for the first batch, brought from Orissa has been completed at Tappers Training School at Kothala in Kottayam district. A total of 280 workers will be trained in the Board’s seven tapping schools.