Yesterday, On 22nd October, The Supreme Court summoned Assam’s Chief Secretary regarding unpaid dues to tea estate workers. The Court also issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, after Assam’s counsel indicated the Central government’s involvement in the non-payment issue. The bench expressed concern over the delay in resolving workers’ grievances.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday summoned Assam’s Chief Secretary over the non-payment of dues to tea estate workers.
A Bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih ordered the Chief Secretary to be physically present at the next hearing, criticizing the State for not making serious efforts to clear the workers’ dues.
Justice Oka remarked,
“Why is there no sincere effort to pay the dues of workmen who have worked in tea estates of Assam?”
When Assam’s counsel described the summons as “harsh,” Justice Oka responded,
“We are dealing with dues of poor workmen. Unless we are harsh, nothing will work out.”
Counsel for the State highlighted that the Central government also plays a significant role in settling the dues owed to tea estate workers. Consequently, the Court issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
In 2023, the Court had ordered the Central government to pay a total of Rs. 645 crore in dues to tea garden workers in Assam. This directive was based on statutory obligations under the Tea Act and included pending provident fund (PF) contributions.
The order intended to benefit approximately 28,556 workers across 25 tea gardens in the state, with 15 of those gardens owned by the Assam Tea Company Limited, a state-run entity.
The petitioners, which included the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers and the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, along with two other worker unions, initially approached the Supreme Court regarding this issue in 2006.
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That petition was resolved in August 2010, when the Supreme Court instructed the Central government to distribute the statutory dues within six months. However, a contempt plea filed in 2012 due to non-compliance with the 2010 order.
Subsequently, the apex court established a one-person committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice AM Sapre. The report from this committee, reviewed on Monday, revealed that a total of Rs.414,73,00,935 was owed to tea garden workers in Assam, and Rs. 230,69,45,663 was due to the PF department.