STAFF CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: The president of National Front of Trade Union (NFTU), Dr Dipak Jaisawal, and the general secretary of its affiliated body — Assam Tea Labour Union (ATLU) — Israel Nanda have called upon the Union government to boost the sagging tea industries of the State during this lockdown period by providing a special package of Rs 1,000 crore as ex-gratia aid out of the Rs 20 lakh crore welfare package as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently.
Stating that "the 480 tea estates and 43,000 small tea growers across the entire State with labourers and employees of 10 lakhs have been playing a significant role in strengthening the Indian economy," the trade union leaders jointly wrote a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar, and Social Justice Minister Ramdas Athawale urging them "to consider their request in the better interest of the tea industries as well as its labourers and employees who have been languishing on all fronts since March last because of the closure of tea estates across the State during lockdown period".
Both Jaisawal and Nanda are of the opinion that if the government fails to rejuvenate the tea industries, which suffered a considerable loss in terms of production and maintenance in the wake of lockdown, the imminent lockout of tea industries is inevitable. "The threat of such a lockout, if it happens, would be disastrous for the labourers and employees," added the trade union leaders.
Terming it as "the need of the hour", they have urged both the Central and the State governments to constitute a strong consultative committee for resolving the crisis in the State Tea sector.