The Forest Department has sought the Law Department’s approval to appoint third generation Sri Lankan Tamils to the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation Limited (KFDCL).
Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara said the consistently profit making KFDCL, which registered 12.3 per cent profit the previous fiscal, was planning expansion and therefore it needed more employees.
The move to hire these workers was also with a view to compete with private companies.
“We are looking to expand the rubber wing of KFDCL and we need more people. We have about 1,700 Sri Lankan refugees who are working as tappers. Therefore we have sought permission for hiring the third generation Sri Lankans,” he said.
According to the proposal, two persons from the family of a retiring employee will be offered jobs by the Forest Department.
The refugees have settled mainly in Puttur and Sullia taluks of Dakshina Kannada district and, most of them are tappers in rubber plantations.
Around 960 families migrated during 1962-67 under the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement and, the original agreement had provision only for hiring second generation family members. The tappers, employed as daily wage labourers, are paid Rs 225 a day and other incentives are on the anvil.
Former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who was present on the occasion, said that the Sri Lankan refugees do not have anything else to eke out a living.
“Many employees are retiring. If we do not provide employment to their kin, they will lose everything they have, including their quarters and other amenities. If the Law Department agrees, we can continue the benefits,” he said.