Thousands of tea garden workers in Bokakhat subdivision have been left without the financial assistance promised under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's "Eti Koli Duti Paat" scheme, after cheques meant for them allegedly lay undistributed in the Sub-Divisional Officer's office for nearly three months — and expired on April 15 without reaching their intended recipients.
The scheme, designed to provide a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 each to over six lakh tea workers and employees across Assam in recognition of their contribution to the state's 200-year-old tea industry, has come under sharp scrutiny over its implementation in the Bokakhat area.
The cheques were sent to the Bokakhat sub-divisional administration, and the scheme was formally launched at the Bokakhat Tea Estate on January 25, where a limited number of cheques were distributed during the inaugural event.
However, according to the Bokakhat branch of the Bharatiya Cha Mazdoor Sangh, no further distribution took place after that initial ceremony. The cheques, signed on January 15, carried a validity of three months — meaning they were due to expire on April 15.
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Realising the validity was about to lapse, the administration reportedly contacted some beneficiaries on April 12 — a Sunday — and distributed a limited number of cheques in a hurried exercise.
However, a large number of cheques allegedly remained in the administration's custody even after that, and expired on April 15 without being handed over to the tea workers they were meant for.
The Bokakhat branch of the Bharatiya Cha Mazdoor Sangh had already submitted a memorandum to the SDO on April 13, flagging the issue before the expiry deadline.
The complaint letter, signed by branch president Dipen Sarak and secretary Manoj Karmakar, stated that many tea workers from several tea gardens across the Bokakhat subdivision had not received the Rs 5,000 assistance to that date, and that the cheques had been lying unused in the SDO's office.
The union has questioned whose negligence led to the cheques remaining in administrative custody for three months, depriving workers of benefits under a government scheme launched with considerable fanfare.
The organisation has demanded immediate action, an extension of the cheque validity period, and prompt distribution of the financial assistance to all eligible workers.
It has also warned that if the issue is not resolved, it will be compelled to launch a democratic protest alongside the workers to seek justice for those deprived of their entitled benefits.