GUWAHATI, AUG 1: The Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) on Monday gheraoed the office of Senior Inspector of Factories in Dibrugarh seeking compensation for 24-year-old Maina Nayak, who injured herself at Lapetakatta tea factory.
The activist holding play cards and banners gheraoed the office of Senior Inspector of Factories for an hour demanding compensation and aid for Maina Nayak. They raised slogan against the government and management of Lapetakatta tea factory.
Lakhindra Kurmi, Dibrugarh, ATTSA secretary said, “As a immediate aid of Rs 13 lakh should be given to Maina Nayak by the management of Laxmi Tea company, owns Lapetkatta tea factory. The Labour department as directed the management of the tea company to provide Rs 13 lakh to Maina Nayak as a immediate relief but it seems that the tea management is not giving any heed to the direction of the Labour department,”.
“The Labour Welfare minster Sanjay Kishan has failed miserably as a Labour minister of Assam. He didn’t have any voice to raise against the wrong doings. It was clear that the Laptaketta tea management didn’t care the direction of the government. Due to the negligence of the tea management the untoward incident happened,” Kurmi alleged.
On July 19, tea worker Maina Nayak was seriously injured while working at Lapetkatta tea factory in Dibrugarh when her hair got stuck in the CTC (cut,tear, curl) machine.
The Assam Labour welfare Department had suspended senior inspector of Factories Dinesh Chandra Roy for negligence in duty after tea worker Maina Nayak injured herself during her work.
Maina Nayak has been under treatment at GMCH in Guwahati and doctors are constantly monitoring her condition.
“We also demand a compensation of Rs 20 lakh and a permanent job at Lapetkatta tea estate for Maina Nayak. According to Plantation Labour Act 1951, workers safety criteria should be fully implemented in all tea gardens and bought leaf factories of Assam,” said Bimal Bagh, district president, ATTSA.