GUWAHATI: The president of Assam Tea and Ex-Tea Peoples’ Forum Dr Lakshmi Niwas Kalwar laid stress on initiating the implementation of the three percent reservation in government jobs for tea and ex-tea community, as decided earlier in the Assam cabinet in response to the demand of the Forum sometime back.
Kalwar participated in a meeting in the state capital with the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika, whom the Chief Minister had nominated to talk with the Forum delegation. In the meeting, he stated that a majority of tea community students struggle to study in school and cannot obtain higher education for lack of adequate environment and resources among this section of people living a hand- to- mouth existence. As a result, they are left with no better option than a Grade IV or Grade III job, at the most, he said.
Therefore, Kalwar said, this backward community needs to be given a higher percentage of reservation in the job arena by the government of Assam, this being a long standing demand by the Forum which was partially acceded to, though no implementation has started yet.
Kalwar urged that, simultaneously, all the posts of Grade III and Grade IV in Tea Garden Model Schools should be filled by the tea and ex-tea community candidates only. During discussions with the Minister, Kalwar also pointed out to other unaddressed issues contained in the 22- point charter of demands placed earlier, for early fulfillment.
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