SC summons Assam Chief Secretary over unpaid tea worker dues, issues notice to Centre
A one-person committee report revealed that ₹414.73 crore remains payable to tea garden workers
Tea garden workers | Representational image
Guwahati, Oct 22: The Supreme Court has summoned Assam Chief Secretary and issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry over continued delay in disbursement of dues to tea garden workers of the state.
A division bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih pulled up the government for not making genuine efforts to pay the overdue wages.
“Why is there no sincere effort to pay the dues of workmen who have worked in the tea estates of Assam?” Justice Oka said during the hearing, a legal news website reported.
When counsel for the Assam government described the Court's order to summon the Chief Secretary as "harsh”, Justice Oka highlighted the seriousness of the issue.
“We are dealing with dues of poor workmen. Unless we are harsh, nothing will work out. We understand your concerns, but it is necessary,” he reportedly said.
The case relates to unpaid statutory dues under the Tea Act and pending provident fund (PF) contributions owed to around 28,556 workers from 25 tea estates in Assam. Fifteen of these estates are operated by the state-run Assam Tea Company Limited.
The Court also highlighted the role of the Centre in resolving the issue. After counsel for Assam submitted that the central government has a major role in clearing the payments, the bench issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The dispute dates back to 2006, when several tea garden worker unions, including the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers and the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, petitioned the Supreme Court for the release of wages.
In 2010, the apex court had ordered the Centre to pay ₹645 crore in statutory dues within six months. However, a contempt plea was filed in 2012 after non-compliance with the 2010 order.
A one-person committee, led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice AM Sapre, was later appointed to investigate the issue. In its report, which was considered on Monday, the committee revealed that ₹414.73 crore remains payable to tea garden workers and ₹230.69 crore to the PF department. Despite these findings, the workers are yet to receive their dues.
