MLA visits Binkandie tea estate, takes stock of the situation

From a correspondent

Silchar, Nov 13: Around 800 tea garden labourers of Binkandie tea estate are in a dilemma as the mager S K Singh and the commercial mager Arun Kumar Sharma along with other official staff have fled the tea estate without any intimation on last Sunday night. The news spread like wildfire across the tea estate along with its three out gardens comprising of Machkhal (Adarsh), Boali and Chotomamda. The main entrances of the tea estate along with the offices of its three out gardens were found locked. Since the lock out, the labours have not received their rations and wages.

 As reported in The Sentinel earlier, the tea garden labours of Binkandie tea estate stopped work abruptly demanding their pending dues of the second phase allotted to them before the ensuing Kali Puja on November 8. The aggrieved workers demanded their due payment of second phase which was scheduled to be paid on December 15. The workers said the payments have to be paid before Kali puja.

 Though, the tea garden magement assured the agitating labours that their due payments will be disbursed before the festival, but the tea garden mager and other official staff escaped from the garden on last Sunday night. Since then, the tea estate has been paralyzed with no work. The aggrieved labours are now faced with starvation like situation. Rajdeep Goala, MLA Lakhipur, visited the out gardens and held a meeting at Hatikuri utchghar where he discussed the issue with the labours and bagan panchayat.

 On the same day, Goala also held a meeting in the residence of bajiban Bauri, president of Binkandie bagan panchayat. He said attempts are being made to contact the Kolkata based owner and proprietor. Rajdeep Goala said, “I am deeply worried about the welfare of the tea garden labours and I shall try my best to see that the crisis is over.” He told the aggrieved labours not to get influenced by a certain section of the politicians who are responsible for the present crisis. Rajdeep Goala said that certain politicians wrongly instigated the poor labours to organize the strike. He urged upon the labours to maintain peace. He further informed that a meeting will be held in the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner on November 19 to resolve the issue. Representatives of Binkandie tea estate along with the leaders and members of Barak Cha Sramik Union and Binkandie bagan panchayat will take part in the meeting. Others spoke on the occasion include Sobha Goala, Chotomamda GP president, Hareswar Dhubi, SC Board Chairman, Jalal Ahmed Mazumdar, Monojit Das and Bikram Goala of Lakhipur Congress.