STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Tea Tribe Welfare Minister Sanjay Kishan has said that over the years the successive Congress governments in Assam couldn't do over the years what the BJP-led government has done in just five years. He said this on Tuesday while making it clear that the issue of hiking tea labourers' daily wage up to Rs 351 is under the consideration of the government.
According to Kishan, the State government has ensured pension for tea garden labourers for 12 years, and the process is on to make it a life-long affair through the amendment of the relevant Act.
According to the Minister, the condition of roads in labour line was pathetic. However, with the BJP coming to power it has spent Rs 548 crore and paved 625-km road, besides 250 km road currently under construction.
According to Kishan, health infrastructure in tea gardens in the State was pathetic during the Congress regime. He has said that through private partnership as many as 150 health centres in tea gardens have been upgraded as hospitals. "We've also launched wage compensation scheme for pregnant tea garden labourers," he said.
The tea garden labourers were susceptible to water-borne diseases as there was no supply of potable water. "To put an end to the menace, we took up 29 small water supply schemes, and 14 of them have been completed. This is not all. While 2.27 lakh AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana) cardholders are getting 35 kg rice free of cost per months, 24.19 lakh PHH (priority household) cardholders are getting 5 kg rice free of cost per month," he said.
In education, according to Kishan, as many as 119 primary schools in tea garden areas have been upgraded as high sigh schools, besides providing free-of-cost uniform to tea garden students.
According to the Minister, the government has laid thrust on sports in tea garden areas. "Playgrounds are being constructed with a scheme of Rs 500 crore. Efforts are also on to provide land pattas to garden labourers," he said.
Targeting the Congress leaders who lead agitations in tea garden areas, Kishan questioned, "Why didn't you do all such activities when you were ministers in the State and in New Delhi?"