HT Correspondent
SILCHAR, May 10: Assam government has announced a compensation of Rs 50 crore as ‘jirat’ for acquisition of the land at Doloo Lalbagh and Mainagarh tea gardens for setting up a greenfield airport in Silchar.
It needs to be mention that state government already released Rs 2.37 crore in the first installment as compensation.
In a recent statement made by the garden management, Doloo tea estate authority stated that the garden management has already deposited Rs 1.57 crore in the workers’ PF account a couple of days ago.
Besides, cheques of gratuity money were ceremonially handed over to the workers of the garden at a function organised by Cachar Administration in Doloo tea estate on Monday.
Notably, a total of 80 lakh rupees was paid to 143 tea garden labourers who earlier applied for the gratuity funds and submitted their applications along with relevant documents to the concerned authority, wherein a total of 170 tea garden labourers have also applied for the gratuity funds, which is in process and the rest numbers of garden labourers will receive their cheques as gratuity in due course of time, as stated by the garden management.
It is pertinent to mention that on the day, the cheques were officially handed over to 143 tea garden labourers out of 170 labourers by the sadar circle officer, Kumar Gaurab Das; labour instructor, V Sinjha, Deputy general manager of Doloo Tea Estate, Supriya Shikder, general secretary of Tea Association of India, Sharadendu Bhattacharjee and others at programme venue.
While expressing his pleasure, Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy said, “We witnessed a major development today and I would like to thank the management of Doloo Tea Estate and Cachar administration for initiating the payment as promised to the workers.”
“I also would like to reiterate that government is committed to the welfare of the tea workers as well as the industry, looking forward to an early settlement to the land impasse at Doloo Tea Estate,” added MP Rajdeep Roy.
Meanwhile, during the cheque distribution programme, Cachar police department also deployed a large number of police personnel at the venue and also carried out a flag march in Doloo tea estate to expedite the government’s land acquisition process.
This is stated in a press release issued from Regional Office Of Information and Public Relations, Barak valley zone Assam.