Kochi: A sum of Rs 1.6 crore will be disbursed as immediate assistance among coir workers in Kerala, says Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Board chairman P Binu.

Binu says the financial assistance to coir workers, who
comprise the major traditional industry sector in the state,
will be available for the marriage of daughters, children’s education, for medical treatment and funeral expenses.

The objective is to provide assistance to the deserving who
have not been paid the same, and whose applications are held up in different offices. A major effort will be to eliminate the bogus members. Of the 27,000 given membership during the tenure
of the earlier state government, only 14,000 were found to be eligible. Those who made the relevant papers available will be given membership.

As many as 743 applications from Kozhikode district were disposed of during the adalat held here on 23 September 2002. Those whose applications were still not disposed of can approach the complaints cell of the board directly and seek redress.

There are, however, major problems related to the collection of arrears. For instance, in Kozhikode district, where there are 98 societies, there is a backlog of arrears amounting to Rs 35 lakh. Of the 4-lakh coir workers in the state, only 2 lakh are members of the welfare fund. A comprehensive survey is on to bring all coir workers within the umbrella of the welfare fund.

A scheme has been chalked out to organise regional-level
camps at the panchayat level with the assistance of people’s representatives, grama sabhas and Kudumbasree units to provide membership to the entire lot of coir workers.

In addition to the assistance under the above heads, coir workers are being given training in raat machine operations, free supply of raat machines, computer training for workers’ children and gold medals for those who have secured the highest marks secondary school exams.