ATTSA fumes over government's 'step-motherly treatment' towards tea tribes

From a Correspondent

MARGHERITA, December 7: Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Association (ATTSA) Margherita Branch Committee has slammed both the Modi government at the Centre and the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam for ‘step-motherly’ treatment towards the tea tribe community people.

“Before the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister rendra Modi had made a lot of promises to the tea tribe community but after more than a year in power, the BJP government has done precious little for us and the tea tribes people in Assam are still struggling for their basic rights,” alleged  Umesh Jaal and Lobo Kumar Murmu, president and secretary of ATTSA Margherita Branch Committee respectively.

“In tea estates under Margherita subdivision such as Powai Tea Estate, Dehing Tea Estate, Segunbari Tea Estate, Margherita Tea Estate, mdang Tea Estate, Dirok Tea Estate and Ledo Tea Estate, the Assam Tea Plantation Act, 1951 has not been implemented till today.  Tea workers are deprived of basic facilities like proper quarters, medical facilities, sanitation facilities and ambulance service. Those who retired are deprived of provident fund and gratuity,” they further alleged.

They leaders said that now that the assembly polls were approaching, political parties were out to lure the tea tribes people with promises. But, they said, ATTSA Margherita Branch Committee would launch an awareness campaign among the tea tribes voters so that they could decide on the right candidate and exercise their votes consciously,” the ATTSA leaders added.