OUR CORRESPONDENT
TINSUKIA: Tea industry is heading towards grave crisis as several factors directly or indirectly affected healthy functioning of tea gardens, viewed several speakers in a daylong 63rd triennial conference of the Panitola branch of Assam Chah Karmachari Sangha (ACKS), held at Dhelakhat tea estate auditorium on Sunday with Moniram Gogoi, President of ACKS Pantola branch, in the chair. The meeting raised several issues regarding encroachment and diversion of estate lands, pension and gratuity of employees, falling prices of tea leaves, and management of tea gardens.
Though several stakeholders like the Tea Board of India, ABITA, TAI, corporate gardens, small tea growers, bought leaf owners, employees, workers, ATEPFO, and Labour Department worked to shape the future of tea industry, there appears to be a strong sense of discontentment prevailing among the employees which was clearly reflected in the Secretary’s Report presented at the conference.
Joy Chandra Saikia, Secretary of ACKS Panitola, alleged that around 340 bighas of Ougurijan tea estate had been encroached by the Nagas with concerned authorities remaining mute spectators. The ACKS expressed concern for the employees who are bound to be affected in future. In his Secretarial Report, Saikia stated that pension and gratuity of retired employees of McLeod Russel, Warren Group, Dhansiri Group, etc. had not yet been disbursed.
Saikia stated that in spite of numerous applications and discussions, their pensions had not been regularized. Moreover, monthly pensions of retired employees of gardens under MK Jokai Agri (Plantation) Pvt. Ltd. had also not been regularized, he noted. The ACKS expects a resolution of the matter regarding Minimum Sustainable Price for tea leaves. It also alleged that the Tea Board had not taken any steps to control the drastic reduction in prices of raw leaves. It said that the government had allotted tea garden land for various uses and that this had ultimately resulted in curtailment of certain benefits earlier provided to the employees. It demanded assurance that these benefits would continue and not affect the current employee strength.
The ACKS also stated that frequent transfers and appointment among the management officials led to stalling of progressive decisions as it had been observed that newly-appointed officials fail to honour assurances given by the previous ones. It expressed hope that the Department of Labour would seriously look into these concerns.
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