Need of taking government into confidence felt in transfer of tea estates ownership

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The issue of the sale or transfer of ownership of tea estates without taking the State Government into confidence sparked a serious discussion on the floor of the State Assembly today.

Responding to a query from BJP MLA Rupesh Goala, Labour and Tea Welfare Minister Sanjay Kisan said that the tea garden owners were taking advantage of the absence of any rules for informing the government of sales or transfers of ownership of tea gardens. He said since tea gardens come under the Department of Industries, the department should frame rules to make tea garden owners inform the government in the event of selling or transferring the ownership of tea estates. BJP MLA Goala said that 21 gardens were sold last year without clearing the dues, including the gratuity, of the workers. ”For the greater interest of the tea workers, the government should frame rules to make the tea garden owners inform the government regarding sales of gardens,” he said.

Citing reasons behind the sale of tea estates, the minister said, “Big companies owning tea estates take loans in huge amounts from banks. When they cannot repay the debts, they sell the tea estates to repay the loans. Poor management by succeeding generations also leads to the sale of tea estates. The COVID-19 blow also made most of the tea gardens evince more interest in other businesses other than the tea sector.”

Goala said, “Since the sale deals of tea estates in Assam take place in Kolkata, the tea workers here in Assam do not know anything about that.”

Citing the example of Charaideo Parbat Tea Garden in his constituency (Nazira), Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said, “The works of this tea estate have been put on hold for the past 45 days due to a clash between the workers and the management.”

The minister said that he had taken up the issue. “However, the labourers have taken an adamant stand that they will not resume work till the management changes the manager. We are trying to solve the problem,” he said.

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