Tea wage halt in Dooars

TT, Nov. 22: District officials in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar have refused to disburse money to tea garden managements in the two districts, citing the absence of RBI guidelines.

As limits on bulk cash withdrawal was coming in the way of wage payments to three lakh workers in the tea gardens of north Bengal, a window mentioned in an RBI directive was used. It mentioned that money could be withdrawn from government accounts beyond the stipulated daily ceiling in case of exceptions.

It was agreed that planters would deposit the money they needed to pay as wages - by cheque or electronic transfer - to accounts of district magistrates. The DMs would issue cheques to the garden management.

Some gardens got the money for wage payment by this way but in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri, wages were not distributed today.

Administrative officials said that though they had got an approval from the state finance department that they could open an account where tea planters could make their deposits, they had not got any approval from the RBI on how much money could be paid to these gardens through cheques.

"A number of gardens have transferred their money for wage payment to our account. But we don't have any directive from the RBI till now and that is why we are sending back the deposits to the accounts of the tea gardens," Vishwanath, the additional district magistrate and district land and land reform officer of Jalpaiguri, said today.

According to him, tea estates will have to approach their banks and seek withdrawal of cash for wage payment. "The banks, in turn, will seek approval from their higher authorities and can hand over cash to the tea estates," the official said.

"Private money cannot be routed through government accounts. That is why we felt the system is inappropriate. A section of tea workers has accounts in banks and post offices. They need not open any new account," an official said. "Given the present state of affairs, it appears that tea estates would be allowed to pay wages in cash for one or two fortnights. After which, each tea worker should have a bank account so that their wages can be transferred by the tea companies."

The Darjeeling district administration, however, has paid planters according to the earlier arrangement and has sent a letter to planters' associations to deposit money for further payments.