Tea-march ends at Jalpaiguri

 

 

The ten-day Sankosh to Teesta padayatra (march) organised by United Trade Union Congress and Dooars Cha Bagan Workers' Union ended at Jalpaiguri today. The participants submitted a memorandum to the divisional commissioner (Jalpaiguri) Mr Behari Lal Meena. Prior to that a massive mass gathering was also organised at the ground adjacent to the office of the DC today.

 

TUCC sources said that though the padayatra was planned for 310-kilometre it actually covered 377-kilometre. Following demands from tea workers the padayatra had to go through the closed tea gardens of the region. It may be mentioned here that the padayatra started from Sankosh Tea Estate in Dooars on 31 July demanding reopening of 14 closed tea gardens.

 

In today's gathering state social welfare minister Mr Biswanath Chaudhury was the chief speaker. State UTUC secretary Mr Ashok Ghosh, Jalpaiguri district UTUC president Mr Manohar Tirkey (minister) and secretary Mr Nirmal Das (MLA), Ms Kumari Kujur (MLA) and Mr Biplab Siddhanta were also spoke on the occasion. DCBWU secretary and also Jalpaiguri district RSP secretary Mr Rana Sen presided over the programme.

 

Submitting a memorandum to the divisional commissioner, the UTUC leaders pointed out that tea industry is the second largest industry in India. Since 2002 an artificial crisis has been created on the pretext of diminishing demand in the international market but in reality the planters taking bank loan hypothecating the tea gardens are investigating in other industries elsewhere.

 

Citing some facts they claimed that tea industry is still profitable. 79 bought leaf factories are running with prospective turnover and so the question of want of viability is not based on fact. But the unfortunate aspect of the industry is utter neglect of the interest and welfare of the labourers. Since 1977 the tea companies were not making provident fund deposit and became perpetual defaulters. In Jalpaiguri district 14 tea gardens are already closed and the number of affected labourers is 30,000. The supply of drinking water, electricity and medical facilities has been withdrawn. The arrear wages have risen to an astounding figure of Rs 366-crore. In 2004 the Sen Commission report proposing various measures to allay the crisis of tea industry was submitted to the state government but the required measures were not implemented.

 

The TUCC leaders said, recently the Union minister of industries declared that the locked out tea gardens would be reopened within July and a financial package of Rs 4,700-crore was granted. But the package was to protect the interest of the owners of the tea gardens with scant provision for protection of financial interest and rights of the workers. No effective steps have been taken both by the state and Union governments to ameliorate the condition of the workers and to save them from the jaws of starvation and death, the leaders alleged. They demanded that statutory obligations of the management towards the workers be made effective as early as possible without making pious declaration only.

 

The aim behind organising the padayatra was to demand opening of closed and abandoned tea gardens of north Bengal, setting up of an office of Tea Board at Alipurduar, state government to take up the responsibility of the students of closed tea gardens, withdrawing of lease agreement of the closed and abandoned tea estates and punitive measures against the owners of the tea gardens who failed to extend basic amenities and all other facilities to their workers. []

  

Ramkrishna Math's initiative

 

COOCH BEHAR, Aug. 9: Cooch Behar Ramkrishna Math, in association with Tufanganj Ramkrishna Sevashram is conducting regular relief drive for the flood-affected peoples of Tufanganj and Mathabhanga sub-divisions everyday since 3 August. President of Cooch Behar Ramkrishna Math Swami Ajarananda said they are distributing rice, pulses and halogen tablets to the affected residents of Daspara, Jaldhowa, Barujibipara, Biswaspara and Mahishkuchi under Fulbari, Rampur-I and Mahishkuchi-I Gram Panchayat areas. He made an appeal to all to come forward with financial assistance to help to continue the relief drive. []