The ‘lockout’ at the prestigious Rosekandy tea estate in Assam’s Barak valley would be lifted on August 16 next.
A tripartite talk at Silchar’s assistant labour commissioner’s office on Tuesday evening, which was attended by tea garden authorities, Indian Tea Association (ITA), Barak Cha Sramik Union, CITU, along with panchayats of Rosekandy, Shahpur and Mechipur, agreed to break this deadlock and reopen this tea garden from next Friday onwards.
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The general manager of Rosekandy Tea Estate, Ishwar Bhai Obhedia, his deputy, Hanuman Singh, Bhaskar Prasad Chaliha representing ITA, former minister and General Secretary of Barak Cha Sramik Union, Ajit Singh, were the prominent representatives in this meeting.
They decided to reopen the garden on August 16 next and hand over the ration of these garden labourers.
On August 17 evening, the labourers will be paid their monetary dues.
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Barak Cha Sramik Union, however, raised in this tripartite meeting to pay all these labourers their monetary dues and ration for the days the garden was locked, which was not agreed upon by the tea garden authorities.
It may be mentioned here that the garden was locked out on July 25 last.
There after three rounds of talks during this period took place.
It was only on Tuesday evening, a decision to reopen the garden was made.
Speaking more on this issue, Ajit Singh, said to Northeast Now, “The arrests of some garden labourers during the last meeting was one big bottleneck, as a lion’s share of labourers were not willing to attend this meeting called upon by Assistant Labour Commissioner.”
“Only after a long discussion with the police officials and the district administration of Cachar, this tripartite meeting could take place eventually,” he added.
“The protesting labourers who are still lodged in Silchar Central Jail, was also discussed in this meeting,” said, Ajit Singh, former minister and General Secretary of Barak Cha Sramik Union.
“Assurances were also given in this meeting that all parties would join hands to get these protestors released on bail soon,” he added.
He also said that whatever difference or grudges that the labourers have with the garden authorities, would be looked after by Industrial Disputes Act.