Assam Tea Employees’ Welfare Board gives Rs 28 lakh to 800 employees

SIVASAGAR: Due to the wrong policies of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited, the once self-reliant tea gardens and tea estates have now gone into the hands of capitalists, but the future of the tea workers have not been secured yet. As a result of which, looking at the plight of the tea workers, the Assam Tea Employee’ Welfare Board had to pay the salaries of the tea workers from the government fund.

It needs mentioning that although Rajabari and Dipling tea estates under the Assam Tea Corporation Limited were handed over to capitalists due to bankruptcy, the owner authorities failed to pay salaries to a total of 896 workers of the two tea estates. This compelled the workers of both the tea estates to take up agitational programmes as they did not get their salaries for a month. In view of the plight of the tea workers, the Assam Tea Employees’ Welfare Board of the Government of Assam has directed the State Bank of India’s Dispur Branch to pay Rs. 28,24,178/- to a total of 896 workers of the two tea estates on February 17. It also directed to deposit the amount in the personal accounts of the employees of both the tea estates. It is learnt that the Dispur branch of the State Bank of India has already deposited the amount in the accounts of the tea workers of both the estates.