Assam Congress Observer Blasts BJP for Ignoring Tea Workers and Adivasis

Assam Congress election observer and former Jharkhand Minister Bandhu Tirkey launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing it of sidelining the plight of tea garden workers and Adivasi communities. Speaking at a press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan, Tirkey called for answers on unaddressed grievances under the current administration.

In his address, Tirkey lamented the dissolution of a committee set up during the Congress regime to determine wages for tea workers. Although wages were marginally increased, he alleged a lack of formal agreements and adherence to established norms for wage revision by the BJP. Tirkey further accused the state government of 'undermining' Adivasi and tea worker communities by neglecting their wage and welfare conditions.

Raising concerns over the sale of tea estates, Tirkey claimed that important assets are being transferred to industrialists, including names like Adani and Ambani. He alleged widespread corruption in Assam and noted a prevailing anti-incumbency mood. With unresolved past issues like the 2001 Biswanath incident and questions over land pattas allocation, Tirkey underscored the urgency for a Congress-led change in power to address these challenges.