Gogoi orders strict implementation of Plantation Labour Act

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today warned tea garden managements of punitive action if they do not implement all benefits and welfare schemes as per the Plantation Labour Act.Gogoi reviewed implementation of the Act and asked the Labour and Employment department to strictly enforce various provisions of it in the tea gardens, failing which punitive action should be initiated against the tea garden managements, an official release said.[caption id="attachment_1785943" align="alignleft" width="380"] Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Image courtesy PIB[/caption]Expressing dissatisfaction over non-implementation of the Act by some tea gardens, Gogoi ordered the department to start implementing provisions of the Act in a time-bound manner.Gogoi informed the officials he would periodically review the status of implementation of the Act.Advisor to the chief minister, PP Varma, has made a study of the working conditions in tea gardens across the state and came up with recommendations for certain improvements, specially in the health and education sectors. A judicial commission was also constituted to study the working conditions in tea gardens of the state and to suggest measures for improvement in housing, health, education and other facilities in the gardens under the Act.The state government has now made it mandatory that a tea garden must have all facilities under the Plantation Labour Act, the release said, adding that it has been observed that the management of some gardens in the state were not offering the facilities. PTI