DIBRUGARH, April 5 - The Assam Tea Tribes Students� Association (ATTSA) today said that the plantation workers are facing a plethora of problems due to their poor economic conditions.
The tea students� body said that the workers cannot even afford two meals a day with their very little wage. They are left with nothing to spend for health, education, clothing and other essentials, said ATTSA leader Lazar Nanda.
The ATTSA members staged two separate demonstrations in front of the offices of Assam Branch of India Tea Association (ABITA) and Bharatiya Chah Parishad (BCP) in Chaulkhowa and in North Jalannagar respectively in support of their demand for increase in the daily wages of the tea garden workers to Rs 400.
The demonstration was jointly organised by Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district units of ATTSA. The demonstration was led by Lazar Nanda, president, Dibrugarh district, ATTSA and Kamal Kurmi, secretary, Tinsukia district, ATTSA. The tea tribes� students� body in a memorandum stated that the prices of all essential commodities in the market had gone up and the cost of living had also increased. Citing the prevailing situation, ATTSA demanded that the wages be increased with immediate effect to Rs 400 as survival was becoming difficult.
Some of the other demands of ATTSA included timely deposit of provident fund, appointment of adequate teachers in TE schools, installation of drinking water facilities and restoration of bankrupt Assam Company India Limited, among others.
