Workers of closed tea gardens to get bonus from GTA Chairman

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 20 Oct 2023, Darjeeling: Anit Thapa, Chief Executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Friday announced that the amount collected during the pandemic, the GTA Chairman Relief Fund will be used for disbursing bonus to the workers of lockout tea gardens in the GTA area. 

This decision was taken in a meeting at Peshok, chaired by Thapa and attended by GTA Sabhasads, officials and trade union representatives. Rs 4000 will be paid to each worker in the closed gardens. 

Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Thapa said: “We will be paying the workers of closed tea gardens from the GTA Chairman’s relief fund. The way problems are escalating in tea gardens, we have to combat this unitedly rising above politics.

A humanitarian approach is the need of the hour. I had received a letter from Ajoy Edwards suggesting this.” 

A committee has also been constituted comprising two GTA Sabhasads and representatives from all the operating trade unions. “This committee will work out the modalities of how the bonus will be distributed in the closed gardens” added Thapa. 

Incidentally, the relief fund was initiated in March 2020, during the first wave of Covid to help tea garden workers tide over the pandemic. More than Rs 2 crore was collected in the fund. 

The GTA Sabha on September 19, 2022, had resolved to construct a Shramik Bhawan at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for welfare of Shramiks out of the relief fund raised during COVID-19. 

All other political parties had objected to this. The Hamro Party also filed an RTI seeking details regarding GTA Chairman Relief Fund. 

On Thursday Ajoy Edwards, GTA Sabhasad and president of Hamro Party wrote a letter to Thapa stating: “I am writing with an urgent request for assistance in disbursing relief funds of Rs 3000 per worker from Chairman’s Relief Fund to support the workers from closed tea gardens in our region.” 

The letter stated that there are 6 closed tea gardens in the Hills with 4310 workers “facing dire circumstances, especially as they eagerly await their bonuses to celebrate the Dashain festival. 

This festival holds immense cultural and social significance for all of us, and the bonus is an integral part of these festivities.” “I am thankful to GTA Chief Anit Thapa for his quick response and calling the meeting. The GTA will start disbursing the amount at the earliest, if possible from tomorrow. We will now work towards reviving the tea industry,” stated Edwards. 

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/workers-of-closed-tea-gardens-to-get-bonus-from-gta-chairman-537515