HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Oct 27: Tea garden workers of the Margherita co-district on Sunday lodged an FIR against Hari Nanda Gorh and Gautam Dhanowar, the president and secretary, respectively, of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch, regarding unauthorised collection of levies from 40,000 tea garden workers across 35 tea gardens and factories under the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch.
Nuwel Patra stated that after India’s independence, in 1958, the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, affiliated with the INTUC, was formed to provide security and other facilities to more than 10 lakh tea garden workers in Assam. However, since its inception, the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha has only collected levies from the tea garden workers of Assam. Each year, ACMS deducts Rs 250 as an annual contribution from each permanent and regular worker, Rs 100 for an agreement on awarding bonuses, Rs 20 for Labour Day, Rs 20 for Foundation Day, and Rs 50 every time the workers’ wages are increased.
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Nuwel Patra further stated that under the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch, there are 35 tea gardens with more than 40,000 workers, yet there is no audit for the amount deducted from the tea garden workers each year. Patra appealed to the Margherita police and the Margherita co-district commissioner to conduct an impartial inquiry into this alleged scam, involving both Hari Nanda Gorh, secretary, and Gautam Dhanowar, president of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch. He warned that if the concerned department delays action, the tea garden workers of Margherita will intensify strong agitational programs at every tea garden in Margherita.
