Labour minister assures Durga Puja bonus to workers

EOI, Jalpaiguri, 15 Jul 2014: State labour minister Malay Ghatak today assured Durga Puja bonuses of Rs1,500 for each tea garden worker during his visit to closed tea estates of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri. Interestingly, the current fiscal’s appraisal rates for workers of functioning estates are yet to be finalised. Ghatak announced this at a press conference held at the recently reopened Raipur tea estate.

He said the state government will take the initiative of handing out the bonus to workers of the closed estates. Moreover, a fund will be released to workers aged above 58 years within the next three months and this stipend will continue till the estates reopen.

State food minister Jyotipriya Mallick, health minister of state Chandrima Bhattacharya, North Bengal Development minister Gautam Deb and district administrative officials accompanied Ghatak to the closed tea estates of the Dooars.

Further, officials of the district food department allotted ration cards to 438 workers. The labour minister said workers of Raipur tea estate will continue receiving a special financial aid.

Meanwhile, as if Providence wanted to show the ministers the plight of the workers at Raipur, the three-month-old daughter of a worker named Balram Tudu died in their presence. Tudu’s wife Sabita Tudu is also admitted at the Jalpaiguri district hospital with acute anaemia, said labour union leader Hembrom.