Tea Board useless as it can't ensure wages to workers, says Sovan Chatterjee
INTTUC submitted a deputation to the chairman of the Tea Board, seeking its intervention to improve the condition of its workers.
Kolkata: Intensifying the protest against demonetisation, state environment and housing minister Sovan Chatterjee on Thursday questioned the existence of the Tea Board for its failure to ensure the wages of the tea garden workers across the state. Addressing a demonstration programme of Trinamul Congress’s trade wing INTTUC involving the tea garden workers right in front of Tea Board, Mr Chatterjee said, “Workers in tea gardens are on the brink of starvation due to the present cash crunch. The tea garden owners are unable to pay wages to them. If the Tea Board cannot ensure wages of the workers, then what is the need for it? If this situation continues, then it’s better to make this Tea Board non-functional.”
INTTUC on Thursday submitted a deputation before the chairman of the Tea Board, seeking its intervention to alleviate the poor condition of the tea garden workers in the state MP and INTTUC chief Dola Sen alleged discrimination by the Narendra Modi government in regard to the tea gardens in Assam and Bengal” The central government is allowing the district administration to pay salary of the tea garden workers. But it is now allowing the system for Bengal. There are no atm’s in tea gardens. The workers have to travel a distance of 10 km for drawing cash and in most cases they are finding that the machines are unable to dispense cash. The tea garden workers will have no other option but to commit suicide if this situation continues,” Ms Sen added.