Nepali‬ Language Included in State Bank of India Recruitment Process

7:09 PM

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West Bengal

Thanks to  the Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia efforts, Nepali and other minority languages of West Bengal - Hindi, Urdu, Santhali, Oriya and Punjabi have been included as an optional regional languages. The State bank has also extended the last day of application to the 28th of April so that people from our region get to fill out the forms.

This is also one of the reasons why we should not remain a part of West Bengal, for the Central government had no problem in paying heed to our request and respecting it, while West Bengal government is yet to include Nepali in WBCS.

Revised State Bank of India Recruitment

[Please note that the notification just came out, and online application portal is being updated to reflect the same... for now you can apply with Bengali and change the language option once the SBI updates their portal]
...............................

After reports of Non-Inclusion of Nepali Language Option in State Bank of India Recruitment  on social media,  Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia Writes to Finance Minister

Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia has taken strong note of non-inclusion of Nepali language option in State Bank of India recruitment and has written to the Finance Minister as well as the Chairperson of SBI demanding inclusion of Nepali language option, and extending the application deadline to allow for youths from Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region to complete the application formalities.

MP Shri. Ahluwalia has also demanded that Nepali being a national language of India, should be offered as an optional language in all states of NE and rest of India where a large number of ethnically Nepali people reside.

Here is the text of his letter to the Finance Minister.

To,
Shri. Arun Jaitley
Hon’ble Finance Minister
Government of India

Re: Exclusion of Nepali speaking candidates from SBI Recruitment

Dear Arun ji,
I want to draw your attention to the plight of the Gorkhali community in India, whose mother tongue is Nepali. Recently the SBI through the advertisement number CRPD/CR/2016-17/01 dated April 3, 2016 has sought applications for the post of Junior Associates (customer support and sales) for which there are close to 15000 vacancies that have opened up all over India, out of which around 2000 have opened up in the state of West Bengal.

When youths from my constituency logged online to apply for the post, they were taken aback to realize that the only linguistic option that they could chose for official language in the state of West Bengal was Bengali. Where as in Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region majority of the people learn and speak Nepali and not Bengali.

Perhaps the SBI Human Resources Department is not aware of the fact that Nepali is one of the 22 National Languages of India that have been duly recognized as such, under the VIIIth Scheduled of our Constitution since 1992. It also seems that the SBI Human Resources Department is not aware of the fact that Nepali is one of the Official Languages of West Bengal along with Bengali and has been so since 1961.

In not allowing aspirants from Bengal to chose Nepali or any other official state languages – Hindi, Urdu etc, the State Bank of India has effectively disqualified those whose mother tongue is not Bengali, even before the recruitment process has begun.

I strongly feel that this is against the constitution guaranteed right of every national language being treated as equal, and also this is infringing upon the fundamental rights of my constituents to be able to chose their mother tongue, which is a recognized national language of India, as a linguistic option. I also feel that in not allowing the Gorkha aspirants to chose Nepali as a language option anywhere in India, the State Bank has turned them into a 2nd class citizen, whose language – even though recognized by our Constitution as one of the national languages – is actually not considered worthy of landing a job with a Government of India entity.

It is because of such instances of repeated discrimination, even by a Central government enterprise, the Gorkhas have been agitating for decades, asking for autonomy for themselves towards ensuring that they will not be discriminated against, on the basis of their language, ethnicity, or culture.

I therefore request you to kindly instruct the State Bank of India and all other Central government entities to ensure that Nepali language and other languages that are actually recognized as Official Language of our state should be made optional during the application process in West Bengal. In addition, Nepali should also be made optional in all the North Eastern states, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi where Nepali speaking people reside in a large number.

Also, since this application process started from 5th of April, 2016 and is only going to last till the 25th of April, all the applicants from my constituency have not been able to fill up their forms so far, due to the linguistic barrier.

Given this, I request you to kindly instruct the State Bank of India to extend the date by when the application can be filled in to 15th of May 2016, so that all those youths from my constituency who have been deprived from applying for these said posts are able to do so.

I look forward to a positive response from you at the earliest.
Kindest regards

SS Ahluwalia
MP, Darjeeling

Included Nepali

Via TheDC

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जापद्वारा आहलुवालीयाको बयानको खण्डन -- सांसदले जनतालाई ढाँट्ने कार्य गर्दैछ – अनमोल प्रसाद

1:45 PM

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SS Ahluwalia

कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ 15 अप्रेल। जन आन्दोलन पार्टीले सार्बजनिक गरेको छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको बील केवल चुनावी जनसभामा जनतालाई देखाउनका निम्ति मात्र हो भनि सांसद एस.एस आहलुवालीयाले लगाएको आरोपलाई जापले खण्डन गरेको छ। जाप सर्वोच्च नीति निर्धारण समितिका सदस्य अनमोल प्रसादले एक पत्रकार सम्मेलनको आयोजना गरेर आहलुवालीयको बयानलाई खण्डन गरेका छन्।

‘सांसद एस.एस आहलुवालीयाले जापले सार्बजनिक गरेको बील केवल जनतालाई देखाउनका निम्ति मात्र हो भनेछन्। उनले यसक्रममा उक्त बीलले जापले आफूलाई पठाउँछ भनेर ईमेलमा पर्खिरहेको तर कुनै पनि ईमेल आएन भनेका छन्। यो उनले जनतालाई ढाटेका हुन्। हामीले उनलाई गोर्खाल्याण्डको बील ईमेलद्वारा पठाइसकेका छौँ’ अनमोल प्रसादले भने। यसक्रममा उनले पत्रकारहरूलाई गोर्खाल्याण्डको बील ईमेलद्वारा सांसद आहलुवालीयालाई पठाएको प्रतिलिपी देखाउँदै ‘सांसदले ईमेल सायद हेरेनन् होला यसकारण उनले ईमेल प्राप्त भएन भनि भनेका हुन्’ भने। यसका साथै उनले उक्त गोर्खाल्याण्डको बील सांसद आहलुवालीया अनि गोजमुमो अध्यक्ष विमल गुरुङलाई कोरियरद्वारा पठाएको जानकारी गराए।

अनमोल प्रसाद

‘हामीले आज गोर्खाल्याण्डको बील सांसद आहलुवालीयालाई दिनका निम्ति समय मागेका थियौँ तर उनले हामीलाई भेट्ने समय दिएनन। यसकारण हामीले उक्त बील सांसद आहलुवालीया अनि विमल गुरुङलाई कोरियरद्वारा पठाएका छौँ’ अनमोल प्रसादले भने। यसक्रममा उनले कुनै पनि बील राज्यको विधानसभामा पठाउनुपर्छ भनि आहलुवालीयाले दिएको भाषणप्रति कटाक्ष गर्दै कुनै पनि राज्य गठनको बीललाई राज्यको बिधानसभामा पठाउनुपर्ने आवश्यक्ता छैन भन्ने भारतीय संविधानको धारा 3 मा उल्लेख रहेको बताए।

‘बील पारित गर्नका निम्ति विधानसभामा पठाइन्दैन। पहिला यो लोकसभामा पारित गरिन्छ अनि मात्र राज्यको मनतव्य लिन बिधानसभामा पठाउने कार्य हुन्छ। यदि त्यसमा राज्यको विधानसभाले स्वीकार नगरेको खण्डमा पनि त्यसलाई लोकसभाले राज्यको मंतव्य नमानेर पारित गर्न सक्नेछ’ अनमोल प्रसादले भने। यसक्रममा उनले यसबारे पहिला लोकसभामा यसबारे कार्य अघि बढाउने कार्यको थालनी गर्नुपर्ने सुझाव उल्टै सांसद आहलुवालीयालाई दिएका छन्।

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Gorkhaland bill should first passed by Mamata Banerjee - S.S. Ahluwalia

8:37 AM

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SS Ahluwalia

KALIMPONG 15 Apr 2016 Darjeeling MP Surendra Singh Ahluwalia today said the bill for Gorkhaland should be first passed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet and send it to Delhi where the Centre would have no problems in passing it.

Addressing a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha election rally in Kalimpong’s motor stand area, the MP was responding to the suggestion made by the Jan Andolan Party from the same spot a few days ago that the GJM should place such a bill in Parliament.

GJM president Bimal Gurung too spoke on the same lines although the better part of his speech was directed at denouncing the JAP and the chief minister. He said this could probably be the last time that the Darjeeling hills will be sending MLAs to the Bengal Assembly because the next time would be for a state of Gorkhaland.

Darjeeling MP Surendra Singh Ahluwalia

“Earlier, people used to ask me how a state could be formed by just three sub-divisions. As Mamata is supposedly creating a new district of Kalimpong, there will therefore, be two districts under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. But why should she create only two districts?” wondered Gurung, who is also the chief executive of the GTA.

Meanwhile, Ahluwalia said, “More districts should be formed out of Kurseong, Gorubathan, Salbari and so on. No one is against this as more districts should be formed for the sake of good governance. It is for good governance that Uttarakhand was created out of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand from Bihar. Similarly from Madhya Pradesh the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out. If small states are created, there will be good governance. If Mamata wants to do likewise by making new districts, she is welcome. It was the Vidhan Sabha that endorsed the creation of the GTA now Harka Bahadur Chhetri wants a bill for statehood and she should pass it. If she does so and forwards it to Delhi, the Centre will also pass it. Delhi will have no problem in passing such a bill.”

Picking up the thread, Gurung said, “The JAP president has a good relationship with the Bengal chief minister, so why does he not demand the bill be passed by the state? We are doing what is needed to be done at the Centre.” And growing in confidence by the sight of the huge gathering, the GJM president further said, “We will win 110 per cent and once victorious, we will address local issues such as of drinking water. We should all stop useless discussions as that will not benefit anyone and is a waste of time. The doors of the GTA are open and any one can come to us and table their problems.”

Turning back to the statehood issue, Gurung said the next elections could see people voting to send legislators to a Gorkhaland state assembly. “The words ‘Territorial’ and ‘Administration’ will be soon gone from the GTA and only the word Gorkhaland remain. Mamata insists Bengal will not be divided, but we are not asking for the division of Bengal; we are only asking for our rights,” he asserted.

Reacting to the statements made by Ahluwalia and Gurung, JAP Bureau member Anmole Prasad said, “It is not mandatory for the state to pass a bill in approval of the creation of a new state as such a bill is rather passed by the Lok Sabha and then sent to the state government for its views. All we are asking is that the process should be started.” He also alleged that most of the people who had come for the GJM public meeting today were not from Kalimpong.


(EOIC)

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JAP drafts Gorkhaland Bill , Challenge GJM and BJP to table in Lok sabha

1:16 PM

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SS Ahluwalia

Writes Mukesh Sharma

Kalimpong,14th April The Jana Andolan Party today in its election meeting released The West Bengal Re-Organisation Bill 2016 in Kalimpong. The meeting which was attended by 10 thousand plus party Supporter was held at Kalimpong Motar Stand. JAP Bureau member and Senior advocate Anmol  Prasad released the draft bill  throwing a open Challenge to GJM and MP S S Ahluwaliya to place the bill in Lok Sabha.

The first of its kind in hill politics the JAP party will be sending the 22 pages draft bill to both GJM President Bimal Gurung and MP S S Ahluwaliya informed Prasad.

In his forwarding letter to MP JAP president Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri has urge S S Ahluwaliya to rise to this challenge for the sake of his constituency.

 Jana Andolan Party Meeting in Kalimpong

He have said ‘ As our representative in Parliament you are well aware that every person of your constituency passionately supports the creation of such a state within the Indian Union. Your party has time and again promised the people that it will sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long-pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other communities of Darjeeling district and the Dooars region. We also note with great eagerness that has your party enjoys an overwhelming and unprecedented majority in power”

JAP has hoped that MP will prevail upon his party not to appoint any committee or commission that will delay the consideration of our demand by Parliament.

The election rally saw massive number of party supporter from all part of Kalimpong.The party urged the people to vote for change and give mandate for Kalimpong District issue.

Amar Lama, brother of Slain Madan Tamang and Bureau member of JAP today alleged GTA of being a corruption syndicate. Giving proof of Corruption from Roads to PMGSY, Midday meal to Indra Awas yojana he one by one led example of corruption in GTA.Lama alleged GJMM leaders of having disproportionate assets

 Dr Chhetri addressing the mass went all out to GJMM President and other leaders. He said it was here in the same place in Motar Stand that Bimal Gurung gave his first speech in 2007 and tomorrow will be his last speech from motar stand as his downfall have started .

 Dr Chhetri attacked R Moktan, Binay Tamang, Bijay Sundas, Dawa Lepcha , Dr Rohit Sharma and MP S S Ahluwaliya in about more than one hour speech.

He said in his recent election campaign PM Modi did not utter a single word for Gorkhaland and even GJM . He said BJP and GJM cannot fulfill the aspiration as their leader regularly gives anti Gorkha statement. He urged the mass to give vote for change and Kalimpong District

Dr Chhetri said It was from this motar stand where in 2007 Bimal Gurung rose to a new high in hill politics and from the chapter of his downfall have started from this same place today.

He said in the 9 year rule of GJM party they never uttered the word of Gorkhaland in Delhi but always said of keeping the record of Gorkhaland intact.

We have bought a draft bill for separate State and throw a challenge to GJM and MP to place the bill in Loksabha.

GJMM rally is scheduled tomorrow in the same place.

Source Kalimpong News Express

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SS Ahluwalia Takes Exception to Non-Inclusion of Nepali Language Option in State Bank of India Recruitment

1:45 PM

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SS Ahluwalia

Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia Takes Exception to Non-Inclusion of Nepali Language Option in State Bank of India Recruitment - Writes to Finance Minister

Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia has taken strong note of non-inclusion of Nepali language option in State Bank of India recruitment and has written to the Finance Minister as well as the Chairperson of SBI demanding inclusion of Nepali language option, and extending the application deadline to allow for youths from Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region to complete the application formalities.

MP Shri. Ahluwalia has also demanded that Nepali being a national language of India, should be offered as an optional language in all states of NE and rest of India where a large number of ethnically Nepali people reside.

Here is the text of his letter to the Finance Minister.

To,
Shri. Arun Jaitley 
Hon’ble Finance Minister 
Government of India

Re: Exclusion of Nepali speaking candidates from SBI Recruitment

Dear Arun ji,
I want to draw your attention to the plight of the Gorkhali community in India, whose mother tongue is Nepali. Recently the SBI through the advertisement number CRPD/CR/2016-17/01 dated April 3, 2016 has sought applications for the post of Junior Associates (customer support and sales) for which there are close to 15000 vacancies that have opened up all over India, out of which around 2000 have opened up in the state of West Bengal.

When youths from my constituency logged online to apply for the post, they were taken aback to realize that the only linguistic option that they could chose for official language in the state of West Bengal was Bengali. Where as in Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region majority of the people learn and speak Nepali and not Bengali.

Perhaps the SBI Human Resources Department is not aware of the fact that Nepali is one of the 22 National Languages of India that have been duly recognized as such, under the VIIIth Scheduled of our Constitution since 1992. It also seems that the SBI Human Resources Department is not aware of the fact that Nepali is one of the Official Languages of West Bengal along with Bengali and has been so since 1961.

In not allowing aspirants from Bengal to chose Nepali or any other official state languages – Hindi, Urdu etc, the State Bank of India has effectively disqualified those whose mother tongue is not Bengali, even before the recruitment process has begun.

I strongly feel that this is against the constitution guaranteed right of every national language being treated as equal, and also this is infringing upon the fundamental rights of my constituents to be able to chose their mother tongue, which is a recognized national language of India, as a linguistic option. I also feel that in not allowing the Gorkha aspirants to chose Nepali as a language option anywhere in India, the State Bank has turned them into a 2nd class citizen, whose language – even though recognized by our Constitution as one of the national languages – is actually not considered worthy of landing a job with a Government of India entity.

It is because of such instances of repeated discrimination, even by a Central government enterprise, the Gorkhas have been agitating for decades, asking for autonomy for themselves towards ensuring that they will not be discriminated against, on the basis of their language, ethnicity, or culture.

I therefore request you to kindly instruct the State Bank of India and all other Central government entities to ensure that Nepali language and other languages that are actually recognized as Official Language of our state should be made optional during the application process in West Bengal. In addition, Nepali should also be made optional in all the North Eastern states, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi where Nepali speaking people reside in a large number.

Also, since this application process started from 5th of April, 2016 and is only going to last till the 25th of April, all the applicants from my constituency have not been able to fill up their forms so far, due to the linguistic barrier.

Given this, I request you to kindly instruct the State Bank of India to extend the date by when the application can be filled in to 15th of May 2016, so that all those youths from my constituency who have been deprived from applying for these said posts are able to do so.

I look forward to a positive response from you at the earliest.
Kindest regards

SS Ahluwalia 
MP, Darjeeling 

Via TheDC

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Bimal Gurung campaigning in Kalimpong, calls JAP 'opportunists'

8:33 AM

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SS Ahluwalia

Darjeeling, April 1: Bimal Gurung today started his campaign in Kalimpong, where one of his former lieutenants Harka Bahadur Chhetri is in a direct fight with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

That Gurung has decided to station himself in Kalimpong for a couple of days is an indicator that the Morcha is not taking the contest with the Jan Andolan Party, led by Chhetri, lightly.

The Morcha chief, of course, would not say the fight is tough. "Looking at the election campaign that is being undertaken by the various units of the party. I can say that our position is very good in Kalimpong. I will be spending the next few days in Kalimpong," Gurung said.

He said when "our own people" did not raise the demand for Gorkhaland, the BJP's S.S. Ahluwalia did.

He did not mention Chhetri by name, but there was little left to doubt whom Gurung could be indicating as "our own people".

Bimal Gurung

Gurung, who reached Kalimpong late last night, immediately left for Sinji-Gidabling area in Kalimpong where the JAP had organised public meetings in the last couple of days, which was attended by an encouraging crowd.

He called the JAP "opportunists".

"A few opportunists are working in Kalimpong for their own personal interest. However, they will get a fitting reply on April 17," Gurung said.

The hills vote on April 17.

The JAP will hold a public meeting at Pedong tomorrow.

Amar Lama, member of the JAP's bureau, said: "It looks like Bimal Gurung has gone to Kalimpong to win back our supporters. However, I can assure you that our supporters are # determined and they will not buy the Morcha's empty promises. The people of Kalimpong are determined to achieve district status."

One of the JAP's major planks for the election is district status for Kalimpong.

Morcha, on the other hand, is accusing Trinamul, which is supporting Harka in Kalimpong, of dividing the hill community.

Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha, said Gurung would be addressing public meetings in Darjeeling and Kurseong on April 9 and 10, respectively, and in Kalimpong on April 13.

The Morcha candidates have been allotted the candle symbol, while Harka has been allotted the whistle symbol for the elections.

While Chhetri could not be contacted, Amar Lama, reacted to the opportunist tag on the JAP president and said: "If there are opportunists in the hills, they are the Morcha leaders. As far as the BJP MP of Darjeeling is concerned, he should have moved a bill on statehood in Parliament. In fact, the JAP has already drafted a bill that we will hand over to Ahluwaliah in Delhi after the Assembly elections."


Via Telegraph

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Bengal not willing to attend GTA Tripartite Meeting - Darjeeling‬ MP SS Ahluwalia

9:31 AM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia today alleged that the state government did not want to attend a tripartite meeting on the GTA before the Assembly elections because it had failed to keep the promises in the accord for the hill autonomous body.

He added that the state wanted to stay away from such talks as it might have to face "uncomfortable questions".

"The state is not willing to attend any tripartite meeting on the GTA ahead of the Assembly polls. The only reason behind such reluctance is that it has failed to fulfil the promises made while signing the GTA agreement on July 18, 2011," the BJP MP said at a news conference in Matigara, on the outskirts of Siliguri, today.

Ahluwalia's comment comes at a time a tripartite meet, which was scheduled in New Delhi for tomorrow, has been postponed. The last round of talks was held on January 29, 2015, and since then, this is the third time that the tripartite is being deferred.

 Darjeeling‬ MP SS Ahluwalia

According to Ahluwalia, there are at least 30 commitments in the GTA agreement that have not been addressed by the state. "Nothing has been done by the state in the past four years. Now that the Assembly polls are round the corner, Trinamul, which is running the state government, is apprehensive that if these issues are raised during a tripartite meeting, the state representatives would have to face uncomfortable questions from the central government and those in the GTA," he said.

"It might pose a fresh problem for Trinamul, as leaders of the party often blow trumpets saying how much the state cares about the Darjeeling hills. To avert such a situation, the state is shying away from attending tripartite talks," he added.

Ahluwalia said: "There were some important promises , like establishing super-specialty hospitals in all hill subdivisions, a sainik school, a central university and development of the national highway. Although four years have passed since the agreement was signed, nothing has been done except creating the GTA. The state, instead of transferring the projects under central schemes to the GTA, is retaining them."

Yesterday, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president and the chief executive of the GTA, Bimal Gurung, had said they would highlight the "autocratic attitude" of the state at the proposed tripartite meet.

Today, Ahluwalia echoed him. "The state is not at all keen to develop the Darjeeling hills and is depriving the residents," he said.

Source: Telegraph

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‪Darjeeling‬ MP Demands - Land Rights + Minimum Wages Act + BPL Status for Tea Garden Workers in Parliament

9:49 AM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling MP Shri. S.S. Ahluwalia yesterday raised the issue of suffering and pain that the tea garden workers in Darjeeling and Dooars have to face.

Highlighting the fact that Darjeeling tea is coveted world over, Mr. Ahluwalia said, "on his recent visit of the Queen of England, our Prime Minister gifted her among other things tea from the Makaibari estate in Darjeeling. While Darjeeling tea is celebrated internationally and was the 1st agricultural product from India to be accorded a Geographical Indicator (GI) status by the WTO, the tea garden workers have continued to languish in abject poverty.

Madam I want to draw your attention, and through you the attention of the Govt of India and the Govt of West Bengal, to the plights and sufferings of the tea garden workers from my constituency of Darjeeling and the adjoining Dooars region.

Since 2002 close to 2000 tea garden workers have starved to death in these tea gardens, and this year alone over 70 tea garden workers have died due to starvation, malnutrition and related diseases. However, nothing has been done to rectify the situation, and to provide assistance to the tea garden workers."

Darjeeling MP Shri. S.S. Ahluwalia

Mr. Ahluwalia stated that the sufferings of the tea garden workers could be directly linked to the Plantations Labor Act of 1951 which is highly feudalistic and nature and called for its amendment, he said, "Plantations across India are guided by the Plantation Labourer Act of 1951, PLA 1951 is heavily tilted in favour of the tea garden owners. So skewed is PLA towards the tea garden owners that, that under Sections 39 and 40, no courts in India (including the Supreme Court) can take any cognizance of any offence undertaken by tea garden management, and can only do so if the “complaint made by, or with the previous sanction in writing of, the chief inspector,” who in most cases is the labour commissioner.

Which means that even the courts cannot interfere against the tea garden management, unless requested to do so by the ‘chief inspectors’ which in today’s term are the ‘labour commissioners’. But the incidences of labour commissioners filling cases against tea garden owners are almost unheard of. The Plantation Labour Act as it stands today, is against the spirit of the Indian constitution and thus should be summarily amended to reflect current realities."

Highlighting the need for granting land rights to the tea garden workers, Shri. Ahluwalia said, "Madam, in addition to the flaws in PLA 1951 which is heavily skewed against the workers, one of the most significant fact working against the welfare of the workers in that the tea garden workers do not own the right to land.

They may live and serve in the tea gardens for generations, but if and when the tea garden owner decides, the worker’s family can be asked to vacate his home and leave the garden. Given which, each tea garden family is expected to send at least one worker to work for the tea garden. This is nothing less than a bonded labour like situation, where the workers have to continue sending their children to work in the gardens, lest they be asked to leave their home, friends and family if they chose not to. Thus, it is most important that the workers are given Land Rights so that they are not subject to whims and fancies of the tea garden owners."

Highlighting the discrepancy in pay that tea garden workers from Darjeeling receive, Mr. Ahluwalia said, "Madam the tea garden workers of Darjeeling and Dooars are the lowest paid workers in the nation. Their salary as it stands today is Rs 112.50 per day. Whereas the minimum wage rates for agricultural workers in West Bengal is Rs 206 per day (with food) for the non-skilled workers, Rs. 228 per day with food for semi-skilled workers, and Rs 252 per day with food for skilled workers [Details: http://bit.ly/1mwBdTX].

Plucking tea, processing them and packaging them require high degree of skills, yet the tea garden workers are only paid Rs 112.50 per day. In comparison the tea garden workers in Kerala get paid a basic wage of Rs 254 per day, in Tamil Nadu it is Rs 209, in Karnataka it is Rs 228, and even in next door Sikkim the workers get paid Rs 220.

I demand that the wages for tea garden workers be set the same for all the tea workers across India, and the minimum wages be set according to current rates."

Highlighting the abysmal state of tea garden governance and management, Shri. Ahluwalia highlighted the stats from a 2013 Govt of West Bengal report, he stated:

Madam the tea companies are expected to provide fringe benefits to the workers, yet an exhaustive survey of 273 tea gardens in the region, by the Govt of West Bengal found that:

87 tea estates could not provide registration certificate/number under Plantation Labour Act. This raises the question whether a large number of estates are being run by fictitious owners

116 tea estates have been run by different management in the last 10 years. Some of these estates are run by the promoters, who do not care for long-term development of the plantations

175 estates do not have labour welfare officers. Five tea estates could not provide registration number granted by Tea Board of India. Leases of 114 tea estates have expired; of them 105 have applied for renewal

41 tea estates did not deposit money towards provident fund contribution in 2012-13. In preceding three years, the numbers were 13, 18 and 24, respectively. In 46 estates total PF dues as part of workers’ contribution are Rs 17.14 crore. In 55 estates dues, as part of management’s contribution, are Rs 33.79 crore

08 tea estates have not paid wages to workers. In 35 estates workers are yet to be paid arrear wages as per last wage settlement. Food rations are due in 35 estates

84 tea estates are getting financial support through the Centrally sponsored employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGS; 22 estates are covered under food subsidy scheme, Antyodaya Anna Yojana

95,835 workers, or 36 per cent of the 262,426 living in tea estates across West Bengal, are yet to be provided with housing facilities as required under the Plantation Labour Act

166 of 273 tea estates have hospitals. The rest depend on visiting doctors. Of the 166, only 56 tea estates have full-time residential doctors and 50 have a nurse. Of the doctors at the 166 tea estates, 92 do not have an MBBS degree

[Details here: http://bit.ly/1S5Swr0]

Shri. Ahluwalia thus demanded:

1. Immediate granting of land rights for all the tea garden workers in Darjeeling and Dooars region.
2. Implementation of minimum wages act in the tea gardens of Darjeeling and Dooars and associated benefits.
3. Declare all tea garden workers as living under Below Poverty Line, until they are included in Minimum Wages Act, and grant them all the facilities and benefits due to those classified under BPL sections.
4. An inter-Ministerial committee comprising of tea garden representatives and local experts (in addition to Govt officials) to study the nature, scope and scale of problems plaguing the tea industry, and to develop a comprehensive plan to revive the tea industry
5. Make comprehensive changes to the PLA to reflect the realities of 2015-16 and to make all those provisions redundant that go against the spirit of our constitution.

8. Allow for immediate amendments to Section 39 and 40 – allowing courts to take cognizance of the offenses in tea gardens.
9. Make it mandatory for the Tea Board of India to provide ration and benefits to the workers, in case of any tea garden owners abandoning their garden.
10. Make it a criminal offense for the tea garden owners to abandon their tea gardens, or fail to provide them necessary wages and benefits that are stipulated by the law.

He also highlighted the failure of estate owners to fulfil statutory benefits for workers, like housing and hospitals.

Following his speech, the TMC MP Mr. Sugata Bose stated that the Bengal government was providing assistance to the tea garden workers, and he said that the Bengal government was willing to change the laws to assist the tea garden workers.

BJP MP Mr. Rajiv Pratap Rudy then supported the issue and requested the Minister for Commerce and Industry Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman to respond.

To which the Hon'ble Minister Sitharam said, "Thank you Madam, the Hon'ble Member has raised a very, very sensitive issue... since last year, this is a matter of great conecrn for us. In fact, I visited North Bengal, particularly, some tea estates from where we have reports of alleged deaths of workers. I have fone and visited and seen the situation then... but certainly the Hon. Member has raised a very, very important issue and a ot of people have also identified and associated themselves. I will come with a comprehensive reply subsiquently."

Via TheDC

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