DERGAON, Dec 28? The State Government has decided to allot Rs 3 crore to the Assam Tea Corporation (ATC) to facilitate development of its gardens. This decision was taken at a meeting of high-level representatives of the government with the ATC and AATSA members at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati recently.
The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Sarat Barkatoky, PWD Minister, formed a six-member committee to review the condition of ATC gardens and the committee will take a final decision on whether to sell off or give the ATC gardens on lease.
This was disclosed by Bhagirath Karan, the chairman of Tea Cell of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) before mediapersons at Numaligarh yesterday.
In the meeting, the decision was taken for granting Rs 3 crore to the 14 tea estates under ATC for ?pooling? (kalam) of tea plants.
Seven other resolutions were also adopted including appointment of ANM nurses in the tea garden localities, formation of a committee headed by the DC to look into medicines supply to TE labourers, implementation of the programmes of Sarbasiksha Abhijan Mission in the TE areas, allotment of fair price shops, enhancement of school timing to 8 a.m., electrification through REC, setting up of Anganbadi centres, supply of tubewells for drinking water, etc.
It is pertinent to mention here that a total of 90,000 tea labourers are working in gardens under the control of ATC, of which 17,000 are regular workers.