Assam tea tribe body announces shutdown of tea gardens on March 22

DIBRUGARH:

The Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) on March 11 announced a complete shutdown of all tea gardens in Brahmaputra and Barak valley on March 22 against the lackadaisical approach of the state government towards tea workers.

Speaking to media persons, ATTSA president Dhiraj Gowala said, “The government has failed to address the problems of the tea workers. The BJP-AGP alliance has not addressed the problem of the tea workers. Before the Assam Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has given ‘lollipop’ to the tea workers by hiking the wage to ₹ 217, the government hiked an additional ₹ 50. We are demanding ₹ 351 daily wage hike.”

Gowala added, “The wage hike issue of the tea garden workers is politicised. To seek votes from the tea garden workers, the BJP government have announced a wage hike of ₹ 50, but in reality, the workers are not getting ₹ 217. The tea garden owners have exploited the workers for many years.”

Meanwhile, ATTSA has decided to move the Gauhati High Court for writ petition against wage hike issue.

“We will organise awareness meeting against the BJP-AGP alliance in the tea gardens. The government has cheated us by depriving us everywhere. Earlier, the Congress government has cheated on us and not given us anything. Now, the same thing is repeating,” Gowala added.

(Edited by Christopher Gatphoh)

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