There are some tea estates where the workers do not have access to clean drinking water, National People’s Power (NPP) MP Kitnan Selvaraj has said.

He said that instead of addressing the common issues faced by the estate workers, regional political parties have been distributing local and foreign aid and assistance among their political supporters.

“Everyone knows that several foreign countries and multilateral organisations provide aid to the estates. When it comes to housing for example, instead of choosing those who are most needy, they have chosen their henchmen,” he said.

Moreover, leaders of regional political parties have occupied some bungalows in state owned estates. “We have removed some of them already, and we will get rid of all of them soon,” he said.

Selvaraj said the NPP is discussing what future housing for estate workers should look like. “We have not come to a decision yet. However, I think that if we can build vertically, we can save space and keep building for future generations. We don’t necessarily have to hold on to the earlier way of life, or living, for estate workers,” he said.