Assam Tea Tribes Students' Union stages statewide protests over mishaps in tea factories

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Tea Tribes Students' Union (ATTSA) on Monday staged a statewide dharna programme in support of its demand for ensuring proper safety of tea factory workers and payment of due compensation to Moina Nayak, who was critically injured recently in an accident at a tea garden.

The Guwahati city branch committee of the ATTSA, in collaboration with the Dimoria branch committee and the Assam Tea Tribes' Women's Association, Dimoria branch staged a two-hour dharna in front of the office of the Chief Inspector of Factories, Assam at Lokhra here. The protestors also forwarded a memorandum to the office of the Chief Minister.

The memorandum stated that it is concerned at the inaction of the State Government in spite of a series of accidents occurring in various tea garden factories in the State.

The memorandum stated: "The Factory Act, 1948 and the Plantation Labour Act, 1951 have provisions for ensuring the security of tea gardens workers. The State Labour Welfare Department is the nodal agency for appointing factory and tea garden inspectors to see the proper implementation of the provisions of the two Acts. The negligence of the Labour Welfare Department, tea garden management and owners of tea factories has posed a serious threat to the security of factory workers who have been meeting with serious accidents one after another. The serious accident of Moina Nayak at a tea factory at Lepetkota in Dibrugarh is indeed a hair-raising incident. She has been battling for life in the GMCH (Gauhati Medical College and Hospital).

"Many other injured workers of Talap Tea Estate and other tea estates are also under treatment. The Office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Dibrugarh, asked the Manager of Lepetkata Tea Estate to pay Moina Nayak over Rs 13 lakh as compensation within three days. The office issued an order on July 22. However, the tea garden management has refused to pay the amount. Such negligence on the part of the garden management and the department concerned is pushing the labourers toward uncertainty. The authority should bring the managers of Lepetkata Tea Estate and the tea factory within the ambit of the inquiry and the Labour Welfare Department should make the garden management pay the compensation to Moina Nayak without any further delay," the memorandum added.

Also Read:  TE's rejection to pay Rs 13 lakh to Moina Nayak irks Assam Tea Tribe Student Union

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