By Arun Uppinangady
Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (RD/CN)

Puttur, Oct 13: The state administration has implemented several schemes for the welfare of bidi labourers. The labour department is also engaged in the efficient implementation of such schemes. However, a case of cheating has recently come to light.

A bidi contractor has been cheating a bidi labourer for the past 10 years by not issuing her pass book. A bidi pass book entitles one for state benefits and helps one avail of the same. The labourer is a resident of Laxminagar near Uppinangady here.

Sumana, wife of Kushal Kumar, who comes from a below poverty line (BPL) family, has been rolling bidis with the raw materials supplied by the local bidi contractor for 10 years. 

The contractor has postponed issuing her the pass book under various pretexts thus depriving her of state benefits. Her hopes of getting the pass book have now started to wane. Sumana rolls 2,500 bidis every week and gets her wages like others. She also gets a minimum amount as bonus from the bidi contractor.

Every bidi labourer gets Rs 84.73 for 1,000 finished bidis, of which Rs 8 is deducted for their Provident Fund (PF). After PF deduction, Rs 76 stays in the account of which a certain amount is deducted as handling charges and the labourers get about Rs 73 to Rs 76 each. Sumana has no idea where her share of PF is being credited all these years. One can assume that there might be a delay in issuing the pass book for a few months, but there is no excuse for a delay of 10 years.

A recent survey about the state of bidi labourers in remote villages has revealed several aspects - the innocent women labourers engaged in bidi rolling are being exploited by the contractors; the earnings of bidi labourers are being fully credited to the family members of the bidi contractor.

Even bonafide pass book holders are cheated of their earnings. The bidi contractor would enter the earnings of a bidi labourer in a book and later transfer the entries into the bonafide pass book indicating lesser amounts, thereby cheating the labourers of their hard earned income. 

Despite the bidi labourers’ unions being aware of the grave situation it seems the union leaders are not pursuing the issue.

There are many labourers like Sumana who are deprived of their legitimate earnings despite toiling to finish their daily work. They are being denied justice. The labour unions and labour department officers are urged to take note of the grave situation of bidi labourers and bring them justice.