PRESS BRIEF
ON
ON
MEET AND DISCUSSION OF SIX REPRESENTATIVE DELEGATION OF JOINT FORUM OF 21 – TEA TRADE UNION OF WEST BENGAL ACCOMPANIED BY TAPAN SEN, MP, RAJYA SABHA WITH SMT. NIRMALA SITARAMAN, HON’BLE MINISTER IN-CHARGE, COMMERCE & INDUSTRIES, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AT UDYOG BHABAN ON 13TH AUGUST 2014 BY 1 PM
Discussed in detailed regarding –
Policy intervention on the issue of improving the present poor rates of wages in West Bengal and Assam Tea plantation.
Minister In-Charge will make necessary correspondences with the Governments of West Bengal and Assam so that the workers can get their justified basic rates and dearness allowances for leading decent lives. For that matter also she is going to meet all the stake holders on 8th September 2014 at Guwahati to take stocks and do whatever required.
Closed tea gardens’ issue was discussed for immediately bringing those in normal operations & save the workmens’ acute miseries including deaths on starvation.
She affirmed the delegation of taking necessary measures for saving the workmen & opening the closed gardens. But she informed that government of West Bengal has denied the problem of deaths on starvation etc.
On developmental matters pertaining to the regions of plantations were discussed particularly health, education and other basic infrastructures.
She requested the delegation to write her department on this vital aspect and her government will do whatever necessary for overall improvement of lives of the tea garden residents.
On the environmental and climate issues, the delegation brought the very features of indiscriminate mining and deforestation in Bhutan Himalayas and random use of chemicals in plantations.
Minister In-Charge took very interest and insight into the matter and requested the delegation to bring immediately this issue before Environment Ministry when she will also take it up in broader dimension of sustainability of the plantation and vital regions of the country.
The Minister – in – charge appreciated the delegation for working together and requested for keeping touch with her department on issues of concern.
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Ziaul Alam Mani KumarDarnal John Barla
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P.T. Sherpa Manohar Tirkey Saman Pathak
