Mamata Banerjee government to facilitate disbursal of wage to tea garden workers

Suman Chakraborti | TNN | Nov 19, 2016, KOLKATA: In view of the problems faced by tea garden owners of the state in making payment of wages to the workers engaged in tea gardens due to demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 note, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to disburse the wage money to the workers. The state finance department has issued a circular on this regard.

It has been decided that the district magistrates of all tea growing districts of the state will accept deposit of money by the tea garden owners in any existing bank account of the district administration.

The tea garden owners will transfer the amount to be paid as wages in the said bank account of the district magistrate only by cheques or by electronic transfer from their bank accounts. The district magistrate's office will then draw the amount and disburse the same to the garden owners on proper receipt to facilitate payment of wages to the workers.

According to sources of the state secretariat, the authorisation has been given on the basis of a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) letter dated November 11 where it has been mentioned that government departments have been allowed to draw cash beyond the stipulated limit of Rs 10,000 in exceptional cases.