SC directs Assam govt to respond on plea seeking wages, ration supplies to tea garden workers

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Assam government to respond on a plea seeking payment of wages and ration supplies to the tea garden workers within 10 days.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justice L Nageswara Rao heard the plea filed by “Assam Sangrami Chah Sramik Sangha” and asked the state government to submit an affidavit within 10 days.

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Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves told the bench that the tea garden workers in the state are suffering owing to non –payment of wages and ration due to lockdown.

Around 10 lakh tea garden workers have not received their wages since the lockdown was enforced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the petitioner stated.

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“Despite specific government orders were passed and demands were raised by different workers’ union in several tea gardens, workers are not being paid their wages and rations by their employers. The workers in the tea gardens are in dire circumstances and facing extreme poverty,” the plea said.

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It further claimed, “The earlier reports from the tea gardens suggest many starvation deaths due to non-payment of wages. With the lockdown, this situation will further aggravate and may put many lives at stake.”

It said the petitioner organisation had written representation on April 7 to the Labour Commissioner of Assam requesting him to take appropriate action against the employers or management of tea estates for violating government orders and to also take appropriate steps to ensure that workers immediately receive wages for lockdown period, but no concrete steps have been taken by the authority in this regard.

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