A CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT: Tocklai Tea Research Institute is again under severe crisis as flow of fund has been stopped following which the employees could not meet their minimum demands – resulting in a series of strike, demonstration by the Tocklai workers, employees, scientists, scholars and even former officials posing severe ultimatum to the authority, informed sources from the Employees Union on Friday.
Union sources further said that Tocklai Tea Research Institute headed under Tocklai Tea Research Association, the pioneer and oldest tea research institution is once more in the headline for non-fulfillment of the demands as a major portion of the funds and benefits meant for its employees are being diverted towards its Kolkata Office where there have been no activities, as there exists a nominal number of staff. This has put the research institute in a dilemma.
Moreover, all research works including research and development (R&D) activities, field visits, advisory procedures to its member gardens are done by the scientists based in Tocklai in Jorhat here, but the headquarter based at Kolkata is siphoning all the major portion of its fund towards its headquarter leaving all employees to go without minimum benefits. Whereas a huge number of Tocklai employees are yet to receive their pension benefits which had even crossed the tenure from the date of their retirement, informed K Gohain to this correspondent.
It may be mentioned that Tocklai Tea Research Station since the British scientists left, has been dominated by a Kolkata based lobby where no activities or research are being carried out, just monitoring the functioning of the research station. When any of its employees makes link against their demands for any purpose then he or she is straightaway transferred to its sub station either at Terai, Nagarkatta, Dikom, Silchar, Arunachal or Tripura. After getting similar policy by the Kolkata Management, everyone has to remain tight-lippped, said sources.
For regional policy the environment which was supposed to be for research and development in the station is keeping far away for the past several weeks and the employees are only waiting for the change in the system to bring back free and fair working environment that Tocklai has been giving since decades, said Dr Jotin Sharma, former official from the Research Station while talking to the press.