Speaking at a meeting of various organizations, including labour unions, homestay and hotel associations, held at the Madikeri Deputy Commissioner’s Office hall, Labour Minister Santosh Lad said that emphasis should be placed on ensuring safety in workplaces, including homestays and hotels. The Minister instructed that CCTV cameras must be installed and details of guests, including mobile phone numbers, should be collected. He further suggested that minimum wages should be paid to workers and that information about various government schemes, including health insurance, should be provided to them.
The Labour Minister also informed that issues related to the registration, licensing, and renewal of homestays would be discussed with the Ministers of Tourism, Municipal Administration, and Panchayat Raj. He suggested that it would be more effective if a delegation led by MLAs met the concerned Ministers. He requested homestay owners to submit applications for registration, licensing, and other matters in a timely manner.
He also opined that the Homestay Association could come together and appoint a PRO or Liaison Officer to handle registration and renewal processes.
The Minister suggested that if complaints arise regarding wages or other issues faced by workers, joint inspections should be conducted by officials from Revenue, Labour, Tourism, Police, CESC, Panchayat Raj, Women and Child Development, and Local Bodies.
The Minister further informed that pending applications related to homestays could be cleared during the KDP meeting, which is held once every three months under the single-window model.
Speaking further, Minister Santosh Lad emphasized that the land, water, culture, and environment of Kodagu district must be preserved, as this would benefit both the present and future generations.
MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda, speaking on the occasion, said that a delegation would visit Tourism Minister H.K. Patil, Municipal Administration Minister Rahim Khan, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge after Dasara. Â It was noted that while homestay associations have to register online, certain technical difficulties have delayed the process. Therefore, registration should be allowed manually, and licenses should be renewed on time.
A representative of the Tourism Department informed that about 230 applications are pending in the district.
Nagendra Prasad, President of the District Unit of the Chamber of Commerce, highlighted that tourism has generated employment for many people in Kodagu district.
Dilip Changappa, former President of the Homestay Association, requested that homestay registrations, license renewals, and related matters be completed within a specific timeframe. Another former President, Karumbaiah, urged that the renewal of homestays pending in the district be expedited.
District Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan assured that the Police Department would issue NOCs within the stipulated timeframe.
Labour union leader P.R. Bharath raised concerns about the shortage of labour inspectors in the district, pointing out that there is only one officer for Virajpet and Somwarpet. He requested the Minister to assign inspectors to Virajpet and Ponnampet, and also to appoint labour judges since many cases remain pending without a judge.
Bharath also stated that remnants of the serfdom system still exist in Kodagu and urged the Minister to abolish it. He drew attention to the hardships faced by tribal families of the Yarava, Paniya Erva, Kadukuruba, Jenu Kuruba, and Betta Kuruba communities, requesting that such wage labourers be provided with minimum wages.
In response, the Minister said that in cases where specific complaints are mentioned, a joint inspection team comprising Revenue, Police, Panchayat Raj, Labour, and CESC officials would be deputed. He warned that minimum wages must be paid to unorganized workers and that action would be taken as per rules if complaints are received.
Mahadev, representing the plantation workers’ union, alleged that in some parts of Kodagu district there is a practice of selling workers. The Minister advised that instead of making general claims, details of specific cases should be provided. Coffee grower Bose Mandanna said that workers were being paid minimum wages and that action would be taken if specific violations were identified.
Kushalnagar Chamber of Commerce President K.S. Nagesh brought to the Minister’s attention that notices were being issued regarding the payment of dues to the Labour Welfare Fund for old buildings.
Responding to this, the Minister clarified that the department’s intention was not to cause inconvenience, but stressed that dues should be paid as per the rules. He assured that there was no need for undue concern.
District Labour Officer T. Kaveri said that several awareness programmes had been organized on the elimination of child labour.
Also present on the occasion were Dhananjaya, Chamber of Commerce Taluk Unit President Dhanukumar, Guarantee Scheme State Vice President Mahroos Khan, Guarantee Scheme Implementation Committee District Chairman Dharmaja Uthappa, Labour Department Commissioner H.N. Gopalakrishna, ZP CEO Anand Prakash Meena, Additional Deputy Commissioner R. Aishwarya, Deputy Divisional Officer Nitin Chakki, Labour Department Joint Commissioner Dr. S.B. Ravikumar, Deputy Labour Commissioner H.L. Guruprasad, Nazia Sultan, Senior Labour Inspectors M.A. Yatnatti and Sashidhar, along with others.
