Thursday, September 11, 2014

#Assam govt constitutes Judicial Inquiry Commission for #tea garden workers

State Government of Assam has constituted a Judicial Inquiry Commission to study the working conditions in the tea gardens of Assam.


The commission, to be headed by a retired judge, will study the implementation of the Plantation Labour Act in the tea gardens of the State and would suggest suitable measures for their improvement. The Commission would also look into the housing, health, education and other facilities being provided by the tea gardens under the Act.
The government had earlier carried out an in-depth study of the working conditions of the tea garden workers and came up with recommendations for their improvement, especially in the health and education sectors. Assam has over 700 small and big tea estates and contributes over 52 per cent of India's total tea production.
Eight tea garden workers were arrested by Tinsukia police in connection with the incident that took place at Konapather Tea Estate at Bordumsa in Tinsukia district, where the tea estate owner Mridul Kumar Bhattacharjee and his wife Reeta Bhattacharjee were burnt alive in their bungalow allegedly by the garden workers.