OOTY: As the TN Assembly budget session is all set to begin, the first budget of TVK government which has raised hopes for many in the state, the workers / labourers working in the state-run agriculture and horticulture farms and public gardens have urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to address their plight.

The workers in the state-run farms and public gardens such as the Government Botanical Garden here, said the public gardens and state-run horticulture and agriculture farms are in the pink of health due to the efforts and labour put in by the hundreds of farm workers.

There are about 80 such state-run farms and public gardens in Tamil Nadu.

From planting of saplings, sowing of seeds, application of manure and fertilisers and irrigation and removal of weeds in the public gardens and harvest of farm produce in these farms, it is the farm labourers / workers who play a vital role to ensure that the public gardens and farms are in good shape throughout the year.

In fact, their efforts always help the horticulture department earn good revenue, running into crores, through the tourist / public entry into the gardens and parks as well as sale of farm produce in other state-run farms.

This shows the dedication and commitment of the labour force in the state-run farms and gardens.

While the workers / gardeners / labourers in the state-run farms and gardens work as temporary workers / daily wage earners, a scheme introduced in 2000 saw some of the farm workers become eligible for time-scale and job permanency. But, due to various reasons, the services of hundreds of such temporary farm hands in the state-run farms and parks are yet to be regularised and they have been denied pay hike.

The farm workers now want Vijay to personally look into this issue and take efforts to address their plight and other anomalies.