Assam: Dispur conveys to Centre its concern on worker unrest in 10 tea gardens

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: In anticipation of the ongoing labourers’ unrest in 10 tea gardens deteriorating further, the Assam government has written to the Centre to take appropriate measures to contain the situation.

Andrew Yule & Company Ltd., a central public sector undertaking, owns the 10 tea gardens in Assam. Due to delays in payment of wages and other dues, the labourers in these gardens have been restive for some time now. The situation emerging from this unrest has become a cause of concern to the state government, and it has now been forced to communicate this concern to the central government.

The tea gardens belonging to Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. are Khowang, Bheman, Hingrijan, Basmatia, Desam, Tingkong, Rajduar, Hoolungoorie, Murphulani, and Bogijan.

Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota has written a letter to the Secretary to the Government of India’s Ministry of Heavy Industries regarding this matter. The public-sector tea company is under the Ministry of Heavy Industries. In his letter dated August 24, Ravi Kota said, “These gardens are vital to our 8,000 workers and their families. The ongoing financial instability threatens to trigger labour unrest, escalating the risk of law and order issues in these tea gardens. Already, delays in payment of wages and statutory dues have led to frequent demonstrations.”

He further stated, “Given the severity of the situation and its potential impact on Assam, I urge your intervention. Possible measures could include a soft refundable loan, asset monetization or liquidating government holdings. The government of Assam is deeply concerned about the potential repercussions and seeks your prompt support in addressing this critical issue.”

He also said that the state government has been given to understand that the challenges include significant crop losses due to fungal and caterpillar infestations, rising wage costs, and a depressed tea market in 2023–24. These factors contributed to a Rs 99 crore loss in the financial year 2023–24. Despite the infusion of Rs 83 crore over the past two years, the company’s credit rating downgrade has restricted further financial support from banks.

Sources said that in view of the approaching Durga Puja, the government is worried that the situation might deteriorate further as the labourers usually expect a bonus on top of their wages and other statutory payments that are due to them from the tea garden management.

Also Read: Assam: Dispur Decides to Give Land Rights to Labourers in Tea Garden Lines (sentinelassam.com)

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