ABITA Initiatives To Stop Sale of Illicit Liquor In Gardens

GUWAHATI: The Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) over the years has been organizing various activities towards spreading awareness amongst the tea community about the ill effects of consumption of illicit liquor.

The Adolescent Girls Groups and Child Protection Committees formed in each tea estate lead the effort in the garden level through cluster wise meeting, home visit, rallies, awareness programmes etc. The ABITA gardens have been conducting advocacy for their gardens on maintenance of positive health status as a routine practice through medical personnel as well through community participation. The Mothers’ clubs, as well as the Adolescent girls clubs, have been trained to act as vehicles of Change in estates to promote health and hygiene amongst tea communities.

The Branch had undertaken massive campaigns in its member gardens to stop selling and consumption of illicit liquor and on other social issues through garden level community awareness programmes during 2018. The programmes usually start with a rally in each tea estate to mobilize the people followed by street drama (in few gardens) and open meetings. The open meetings are facilitated by the Child Survival Coordinators of ABITA, Welfare Officers, Medical Officers of the respective gardens. The concerned officers from the Excise Department also attend in few of the programmes.

The members’ of Child Protection Committees and Mothers Group have been making all round efforts to stop consumption of illicit liquor within their respective garden by various garden level activities. The Girls Group Members has also been organizing rallies and home visit in their respective gardens on various issues including consumption and selling of illicit liquor. Such programmes are scheduled to continue in future on a regular basis.

The ITA attaches utmost importance to Health and hygiene awareness programs for the Tea community which includes the anti- alchohol campaign, Nutrition and health campaigns, Sanitation and safe drinking water measures in tea estates as well as empowerment of women and adolescent girls and boys on improving their quality of life.

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