SILCHAR, June 11 - The labourers of Rosekandi Tea Estate in Cachar district staged a protest demonstration on Monday inside the garden premises demanding facilities, allegedly kept on hold by the garden management.
According to sources, the workers were annoyed over negative response from the tea garden management for not allowing them to enjoy certain facilities as promised by the Government.
Over 1,000 workers were seen voicing their anger as they staged a blockade on the Borjalenga-Silchar road in support of their charter of demands.
Police had to rush to the spot to ask the agitated labourers to lift the blockade.
The workers, who have retired or were casual staff do not get the benefit of the facilities under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna. The workers were also not allowed to utilise the properties of the gardens, including pond, ambulances etc. We would continue the movement in the interest of the workers, said Babul Kumar, a social activist.
On the other hand, responding to the chaos, Ishwar Bhai Ubhadia, general manager of the garden said that the tea estate has 800 permanent workers and those who sat on protest are mostly non-workers of the garden.
�The stir has been organised by people with vested interest to misuse the property of the company. The agitators have been given money to raise voice against the garden. The workers who are serving in the garden since a long time are being steered in the wrong direction by outsiders,� the general manager said.
