Plight of tea labourers continues

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, June 9: Around 50 to 60 labourers of Dilkhush Tea Estate have been working at Tikol Tea Estate which is under Udharbond for a long time. The owner and mager of Dilkhush Tea Estate Anil Goenka is yet to clear their dues, make their weekly payments and make PF fund clear and supply them with their rations on a regular basis. In such a situation, these labourers have been bound to work for other garden. A huge amount of money is yet to be cleared. Other workers of the same tea estate are working at Binkandie Tea Estate. Anil Goenka who was in Kolkata returned last Monday. Upon his arrival at his tea estate, he saw a truck which was taking those labourers to other gardens.

 Anil Goenka asked them to stop which led to a brawl between him and Lal Bahadur Barui (27), a tea labourer. He also slapped Lal Bahadur, which enraged other labourers. As the situation was getting worse, J R Lalsim, ADC and in-charge, SDO(Civil), Lakhipur called circle officer and magistrate Pradip Kumar Gupta to take adequate measures to bring the situation under control. DSP A J Das, in-charge, Lakhipur police station, S I Mahendra Das, Bhaskar Ojha, DSP (HQ) Sudhanghsu Kumar Das and 147 Bn CRPF also rushed to the spot and controlled the situation. The labourers asked Anil Goenka to clear all the dues of these labourers immediately. P K Gupta had a long discussion with Anil and the labourers. The labourers have been asked to maintain peace and work in harmony.

Former minister and general secretary of Barak Cha Shramik Union Ajit Singh and assistant general secretary of the Union, Dinth Baroi visited the Dilkshush Tea Garden and discussed the issue with Anil Goenka. They also told him to clear the dues of the poor labourers. At present, there are around 150 to 200 labourers working at Dilkhush Tea Garden. They are receiving their weekly payments regularly. However, a huge amount of money in the form of PF fund is yet to be cleared. Anil has been forced to sell the green leaves of his estate to other estates in order to make the weekly payment. The condition of the garden is also very precarious.