Tea tribe community reiterates demand for autonomous council

OUR STAFF CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: Welcoming the Sonowal-led BJP government's decision for constituting separate autonomous council for three indigenous communities of the State, the tea tribe community has reiterated their demand for autonomous council, which was submitted to the State Government in 2017.

An emergent meeting, organized by the recently-constituted Tea Tribes Autonomous Council, former Speaker of the Assam Assembly and former minister of the State, Prithivi Majhi, was graced by Paban Singh Ghatowar, Etuwa Munda, Raju Shahu and other former MLAs. The representatives of different organizations of the tea tribes' community of Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur districts also took part in the discussion.

The meeting discussed the various issues related to socio-economic status, education and overall development of tea tribes and Adivasis of the State and was unanimous that both the communities were lagging behind in all sectors.

"It is utmost important that we must work in unison for the development of the community," said the speakers. They were in favour of formation of separate autonomous council for the overall development of the community.

The meeting resolved to submit a proposal to this effect before Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Flaying the government for failing to keep its promise of paying Rs 351 as daily wage for tea labourers, the leaders present in the meeting demanded for its early implementation.

A committee for separate autonomous council has been formed with Prithivi Majhi, Israel Nanda, Baldev Teli, Rupesh Gowala, Monoj Dhanowar, Nabin Keot and others as members. The meeting was attended, amongst others, by Shiv Tanti and members of Santal Students' Union and representatives of several organizations of the tea tribes' communities.

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