DIMAPUR, AUGUST 7: “Society cannot progress if a section of its people is left behind,” observed the Governor of Assam and Nagaland, PB Acharya during an interactive programme with a delegation of tea tribe organisations at Raj Bhavan on July 31.
A Raj Bhavan statement said Acharya, in an interactive programme with 25 member delegate, discussed on vital issues for the welfare of the tea garden community in Assam.
With a view to bolster education driven development of tea tribe community, the vice president of BJP Assam Pradesh, Siba Prasad Bodra, requested the Governor to introduce reservation for the students belonging to the tea tribe community in Guwahati University and other universities of Assam in line with Dibrugarh University.
Addressing the problem of education, Acharya said education is the only tool towards empowerment and urged to build more schools and colleges in the tea garden areas and suggested that skill based education should take over conventional education. The Governor also empahsised that as he is the Chancellor of Universities of the State, would definitely do the needful for introduction of reservation for the tea tribes.
The Governor also commented that all universities in Assam should act on research works carried out on the tea gardens or the tea gardeners so that based on the findings, follow up actions for the development of tea tribe community could be taken. Acharya also assured to talk with the government for setting up one model school covering every five tea gardens.
Meanwhile, the Governor asked the Commissioner of Assam Tea Employees’ Welfare Board to check on lower wage structure for the tea garden labourers working in the Barak valley and stressed equal wages all over the state.
Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schemes like ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ and ‘Jan Dhan Yojana,’ the Governor said to address the socio economic development of the tea garden labourer community at large, the benefits of the schemes should be fully utilised at the grass root level.
Member of Parliament from Jorhat, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, assured the tea tribe organisations to take up all possible steps for the uplift of the tea labourers.
Further, the Governor urged upon the media to highlight the issues confronting the tea garden labourer community so that their problems can be addressed accordingly.
