Assam: Dispur keeps close watch on bonus payments to tea workers

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: State Minister of Tea Tribes and Labour Welfare, Sanjay Kishan, has urged all tea gardens to provide bonuses to workers before the festival of Durga Puja starts. If any garden does not provide such a bonus, action will be taken against the offending tea garden as per law, the minister warned.

It is a tradition for tea workers to receive a bonus on account of their biggest festival, Durga Puja, every year. It is a time of revelry and celebration for the workers in the tea gardens of the state during this festival, which is starting on October 9 this year.

Speaking to The Sentinel, Minister Sanjay Kishan said, "Most of the gardens in the last few years have been disbursing 20% bonuses to their workers. The workers eagerly await the bonus every year. This time also, we have requested the tea gardens to provide a 20% bonus. As per information received by our department, many gardens have agreed to pay a 20% bonus for Puja. However, some tea gardens are expressing reservations about paying a 20% bonus. For example, tea company McLeod Russell, which has around 30 tea gardens in Assam, has agreed to pay a 20% bonus. Similarly, our Assam Tea Corporation (ATC) has also decided to pay the 20% bonus due to the workers, despite ATC not performing that well financially. Workers of ATC will receive the bonus on time. We have taken up the matter with the Finance Department. The bonus will be paid in DBT mode."

The minister also said Andrew Yule tea company, which has a number of tea gardens in Assam, has not confirmed payment of the 20% bonus because of their financial situation.

The minister further said that some tea gardens have already started the payment of bonuses to workers. Some of the gardens have decided to pay the 20% bonus in two instalments after consulting with labour unions. "As bonus is a sensitive issue among tea workers, the government is keeping a close watch on the issue," he added.

20% bonus means 20% of the total wages earned by a tea worker in a year. Earlier, the state government had instructed the tea gardens to pay up the bonus to workers by September 25.

An earlier letter from the government said, "As the Durga Puja is approaching in the 2nd week of October, 2024, it is therefore requested that the Tea Garden Managements finalize their annual balance sheets and work out the quantum of bonus as per provision of law, i.e., the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, as amended in 2015, well ahead of the Puja. The process of declaring the quantum/percentage of bonus and ex-gratia (if any) should be completed within 15 September 2024, with an intimation to all concerned. In case of any exigency, the local Labour Department Officials and the District and Sub-Divisional Civil & Police Administration may be taken into confidence to extend all possible help and cooperation in resolving any issues promptly and suitably. The payment of bonus should be completed by 25th September, 2024."

Any deviation from this instruction and the laid down provision of law will be viewed seriously, the letter added.

Also Read: Sonitpur DC Deba Kumar Mishra Chairs Meeting on Bonus Payment for Tea Garden Workers Ahead of Durga Puja (sentinelassam.com)

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