Thiruvananthapuram: Ahead of the inauguration of the Wayanad rehabilitation project for the people displaced by the massive landslides, Labour Minister V Sivankutty said that the workers of Elstone Estate would receive around Rs six crore as relief assistance.

The minister made the announcement days after the estate workers vowed to protest the pending benefits and the authorities' lapses in providing job security.

According to the minister, the estate management would provide the relief amount. The decision was taken during a meeting between Labour Department officials and management representatives at the District Labour Office in Wayanad.

Management would pay the workers amounts under various heads, including provident fund arrears, bonuses, annual leave surrender, and so on.

It has been decided to provide statutory gratuity to 33 permanent workers in Pulppara Division and to provide retrenchment compensation at the rate of 15 days' wages for one year service, he said.

The management has been asked to provide these benefits to the workers from the remuneration paid by the government when the estate is acquired, the minister further said.

Various government officials, trade union leaders and estate management representatives took part in the meeting convened under the aegis of Additional Labour Commissioner Sunil K M, reported PTI.

The state government has paid a compensation of Rs 26 core to the Elstone Tea Estate Limited for acquiring its land for the rehabilitation of the survivors of the landslide disaster in Mundakkai and Chooralmala of Wayanad.

A total of 64.4075 hectares of land in Elstone Estate would be acquired to construct a township in Vythiri taluk in Kalpetta to rehabilitate the landslide survivors. The foundation stone laying ceremony of the township will be held on Thursday at 4 pm. Chief Minsiter Pinarayi Vijayan will inaurate the project. Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi is also expected to attend the event.