Threat to stop rations

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Feb. 3: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated trade union for tea garden workers has decided to stop the management of respective estates from distributing rations unless the labourers are paid in cash the difference between the actual price the planters pay for the food grains and the amount they show as the expense.

The Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union today raised the demand in the wake of the Centre's decision to implement the National Food Security Act from February 1. Under the Act, 35kg of food grains have to be given to beneficiaries a month at Rs 2 per kilogram.

Suraj Subba, the general secretary of the union, today said: "As the Act covers even tea garden workers, the management must now pay them in cash the ration component it is showing as a portion of a labourer's wage. Until its done, we will not allow the management to supply food grains under the Act."

The planters give food grains to the workers at 47 paise per kilogram and had claimed in 2007 that their actual spending on the rations per each labourer a day was Rs 14.39. "Under the Act, the management will get food grains at Rs 2 per kg. We demand that the difference between the amount shown as the ration component and the actual price spent now (Rs 2 per kilogram) on the food grains be given to the workers in cash," said Subba.