QUALITY RICE SUPPLY AND RECRUITMENT OF LOCAL YOUTHS
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: There must be a probe into the poor quality of rice supplied for the tea labourers of Assam. This demand was made by a legislator of an ally of the ruling BJP-led coalition State government in the Assembly on Monday.
The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) legislator from Sonari – Dharmeswar Konwar also urged the government to urgently initiate steps to recruit only local candidates for various official posts in the tea gardens across the State.
Replying to the demand from AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) legislator from Chabua, Punakon Baruah, Minister of Tea Tribes Welfare Sanjay Kishan stated, "I'm really concerned at the charges levelled by the honourable Members of the Legislative Assembly about two main issues confronting the larger community of tea tribes across the State," stated at the Assembly on Monday.
The Minister pointed out, "With reference to the issue on distribution of rice among the tea-tribe community members, I 'd like to state that the 'ABC Tea Workers Welfare Services' with its headquarters in Kolkata has been carrying on this service from several years now.
"This organization annually supplies around 2.40 lakh tonne of rice to the managements of the registered 800 tea gardens in Assam. The cost of this consignment approximates to Rs 500 crore. Had this huge amount of rice been procured from local peasants, it would have substantially boosted their financial position and also the State's economy."
The Minister added, "This rice is not supplied free of cost. Managements of the respective tea gardens deduct 54 paise against each kilogram of the supplied rice from the wages of each labourer."
Minister Kishan, however, pointed out, "Insofar as ration for the tea labourers is concerned, the decision is jointly taken by the tea garden managements and the labourer organisations. The scope of the government has very little scope to interfere in this aspect."
Earlier raising this issue on the floors of the House, AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) legislator from Chabua Punakon Baruah urged the government to ensure that the supplied rice is of quality. The supplied item is of very low quality as of now. This has happened because for the last 68 years, the 'ABC Tea Workers Welfare Services' has been carrying on this service.
With reference to the demand for recruitment of only local candidates for various official posts in the tea gardens of the State, the Minister said, "Most of the tea companies operating in Assam have their head offices in Kolkata. Hence, the managements of those companies recruit staff centrally from their HQs (headquarters). This has adversely affected the morale of the local candidates."
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