: Being a farm worker is no mean job in Kerala, where a man or woman can earn upto Rs 30,000 a month.
Believe it or not, many agriculture labourers earn five figure salaries in the state, thanks to the state government's new "labour force" scheme.
The Agriculture Department, with the support of village panchayats, has drawn up the scheme to ensure decent wages to farm workers and raise their status in society, sources said.
Under the scheme, a 'Karshika Karma Sena' (farm workers' army) with farm workers enrolled as members are formed in each village panchayat.
They are then trained in all sorts of agriculture related works, ranging from tilling land, sowing seeds and harvesting crops, coconut plucking and even hi-tech farming, a department official said.
Anybody in the village panchayat can hire the service of the 'Karma Sena' members giving them a fixed standard wage.
A top official said that against the conventional practice of paying labourers immediately after the work is over, their wages are calculated based on the hours they work and is paid on a monthly basis, putting them on par with the salaried class.
"Their daily wages are collected by either the panchayat or local Krishi Bhavan officials from each employer and credited to bank accounts. The scheme also ensures them work throughout the year and earn a handsome amount every month," state Director of Agriculture R Ajith Kumar told PTI.
Interested labourers could register at the Krishi Bhavan in their locality to be a member in the 'Karshika Karma Sena'.
He said the scheme had been launched in over 60 village panchayats so far and many farm labourers were earning five figure salaries easily through it.
Some hard working labourers even earn more than Rs 30,000 salary in many months, he said.
"Women are showing more interest to join the scheme. There is no discrimination in the salary. Both men and women get same wages as part of the scheme,"the official said,adding that the department planned to cover around 200 panchayats in the initial phase.
