Promised healthcare facilities for tea plantation workers a farce: ASCSS

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: All the healthcare facilities promised by the government for the tea plantation workers are a farce, alleged the Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangha (ASCSS). The Sangha’s secretary, Jiten Tanti, said in a press meet at Gauhati Press Club, “When tea garden workers face major health issues, the medical facilities are reduced leading to a critical situation. A medical leave is granted only if a worker falls ill for any reason, and then he has to visit the hospital at least twice a day for three days. It may be mentioned that the hospital is situated approximately 2 kilometres from their place. After visiting it three times or twice to show their illness, only then do they get their medical leave.”

Further, the Sangha said, “The infrastructure of the hospitals is very poor. Many tea gardens are closed because of the transfer of their ownership, for which the labourers have to travel to faraway hospitals, which is approximately 100 km.”

The Sangha has also alleged that “The tea garden authorities do not pay for healthcare expenses, not even those spent at government hospitals. The retired workers do not get health benefits. Also, the casual labourers cannot avail themselves of any kind of facilities.” The Sangha expressed that, “In a recent survey, among 800 registered tea plantations in Assam, only 274 have a permanent doctor.”

In regards to all of their grievances, the Sangha submitted a memorandum for the intervention of the Labour Department. They also demanded the reopening of Bichakupi Hospital in the Tinsukia district. Along with various other demands, they also demanded that doctors should be appointed according to the ratio of tea workers.

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