OUR CORRESPONDENT
TEZPUR: Under the chairmanship of Rupesh Gowala, Minister of Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes Welfare, Government of Assam, a review meeting was held in the conference hall of the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Sonitpur.
The meeting was attended by Krishna Kamal Tanti, MLA of Rangapara, Ananta Lal Gyani, Labour Commissioner of Assam, Ananda Kumar Das, District Commissioner of Sonitpur, Lakshinandan Saharia, District Development Commissioner, Karabi Saikia Karan, Chief Executive Officer of Sonitpur Zilla Parishad, Bhimananda Tanti, Secretary of the Barsala Branch of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), senior officials of various departments, managers of different tea gardens, representatives of labour unions, student organizations, and labour welfare bodies of the district.
During the event, the Minister emphasized several key issues, including the implementation of the ‘Eti Koli Duti Pat’ scheme, generating more job cards for temporary tea workers under MGNREGA, ensuring adequate teacher availability in schools located in tea garden areas, reducing the dropout rate in garden schools, improving healthcare and availability of doctors in tea gardens, and strengthening screening facilities for diseases such as sickle cell anemia and tuberculosis.
The Minister further stressed the need to monitor maternal and child mortality rates, establish model Anganwadi centres in tea garden areas, and review the progress of developmental schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). He directed officials to take immediate measures to resolve issues related to non-functional schemes.
He also instructed strict enforcement of laws to curb child labour in the district, with stringent action against those employing children. Additionally, he directed concerned authorities to ensure that retired tea garden workers receive their provident fund and gratuity payments on time.
In view of the upcoming Durga Puja festival, the Minister appealed to all tea garden managements, labour unions, and student organizations to work in coordination with the district administration to ensure timely payment of bonuses in a peaceful and acceptable manner.
The meeting concluded with a collective call for coordinated efforts between the district administration, tea garden managements, and welfare organizations to ensure the holistic development of the tea tribe community in Sonitpur district.
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