GUWAHATI, Feb 25 - The civil society inquiry report of Bhuban Valley Tea Estate deaths which was presented to the media highlighting the circumstances that led to �starvation deaths� of eleven persons, said that condition of another 45 workers of the TE was still serious .
The report also expressed apprehension about the future of the labourers of seven other tea estates located in Barak Valley, which, according to it, are awaiting a similar fate.
The seven tea estates include Chargola Valley TE, Durganagar TE, Modon Mohan TE, Sreebehula TE, Sengla Chera TE, Chincoorie TE and Saraswati TE of Barak Valley.
Members of People�s Rights Forum, Adivasi Sahitya Sabha, PAJHRA, Nawa Bihan Samaj and AASAA formed the team of civil society group, which visited the site on January 22 and 23.
The report also divulged that condition of 45 other labourers is still serious in Bhuban Valley Tea Estate. It further pointed out lacunae relating to livelihood, wage, health and sanitation, which amounts to violation of Plantation Labour Act.
Barak Valley-based human rights organization Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC) had earlier sent letters to the Prime Minister�s Office (PMO) and to the Union Labour Minister seeking their intervention over the alleged starvation deaths in Bhuban Valley Tea Estate.
The estate management, it needs mention, decided to close down the estate on October 11, 2011, which apparently led to starvation of the labourers, who had limited option of earning livelihood.
The organisations also condemned the Assam Government inquiry report on the issue, which, according to them, negated the starvation death aspect.
The report also suggested to the Government to take a number of steps to bail out the victim labourers, which include allowing extra allocation of PDS ration, immediate and proper medical support, providing drinking water facilities, implementation of Supreme Court order of provision of basic food and nutrition, which, they feel, is not being followed in the tea estates.
It further suggested that all the entitlements of the Government such as 100 days of work, job card, and the provision of housing facility should be looked after.
�Criminal procedure should be taken against the tea estates management for not depositing provident fund,� the report added.
