Is Akhil Gogoi an undercover agent?

ABCMS says the demand for daily wage of tea estate labourers raised by Akhil Gogoi has no basis, his demand helps the government and garden magements

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 7: Is KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi in the guise of tea estate labourers’ darling who actually works as an undercover agent of the government and tea garden magements? The outburst made by the Akhil Bharatiya Chah Mazdoor Sangha (Assam) (ABCMS) today is replete with such an undertone. 

ABCMS’ Assam general secretary Dinesh yak, in a statement issued to the press today, alleged that the KMSS taking to the streets demanding fixation of daily wage of tea estate labourers of the state at Rs 169 is, in fact, helping the government and garden magements.

Expressing surprise at the KMSS’ demand for the fixation of tea estate labourers’ daily wage at Rs 169, yak said: “In the aftermath of various organizations demanding fixation of tea estate labourers’ daily wage at Rs 330, the state government has formed a committee that has been holding talks with labour unions and garden magements. At a time when the labour unions have been busy in bargaining with the government-formed committee and garden magements, Akhil Gogoi’s demand for fixation of daily wage at Rs 169 is helping the government and the garden magements. There was a tripartite talks on April 6 and the next such talks will be on April 20. The demand raised by Akhil Gogoi has no basis.”

After a four-day-long fast in front of the office the Labour Commissioner in the city, the KMSS took out a procession from Dighalapukhuripar to Meghdoot Bhavan on April 6 in support of their demand for Rs 169 a day as the minimum wage of tea estate labourers, excluding house rent, power tariff, water supply, education of children and health services. The KMSS claimed that it raised the demand in accordance with the Minimum Wage Act, 1948. The Chah Shramik Mukti Sangram Samiti (CSMSS) and Ga Mukti Sangram Samiti (GMSS) also took part in the procession taken out by the KMSS. The tea labourers in the Brahmaputra Valley get Rs 94 a day while their counterparts in the Barak Valley get Rs 75 a day. Tea labourers of the Assam Government-owned gardens get Rs 90 a day.