Tea Garden Workers in Upper Assam Protest Land Sales; ACMS President Ghatowar Leads Rally in Dibrugarh

DIBRUGARH: Tea garden workers across upper Assam including Dibrugarh under the banner of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), staged an hour-long protest in various tea gardens on Wednesday over the sale of tea garden lands for commercial purposes.

Former Union DoNER Minister and ACMS president Paban Singh Ghatowar led the protest at the Bokpara Tea Estate in Dibrugarh. Slogans by the tea garden workers over the sale of tea garden lands could be heard. 

Ghatowar said that sale of tea garden lands for non-agricultural activities and uprooting of tea plants will not be allowed to happen. He explained that the tea workers were dependent on tea gardens for sustenance and livelihood and if there were no tea plants or tea gardens the workers will have nowhere to go.

He said that he has taken the issue to the Central government, State government and the tea garden owners. Ghatowar also called for the rebuilding of the dilapidated tea workers quarters, good housing facilities, drinking water for garden workers, and upgrade of tea garden hospitals with more doctors, nurses, staff and adequate medicines. He also sought gratuity and provident fund for retired employees of tea gardens and timely promotion of tea garden staff.

ACMS, Dibrugarh secretary and central vice president Nabin Chandra Keot said, “We have staged a protest with our 11-charter of demand. Our main demand among them is to increase the wage of garden workers. Most of the garden quarters were in a pitiable condition and the garden management has been doing nothing to repair it. We urged the government to take necessary steps to solve our demand.”

A memorandum was submitted to the garden manager at the conclusion of the protest.  Similar protests were held in various tea gardens of Tinsukia and Sivasagar districts.

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