Expert committee to address various issues relating to ATC tea gardens: Sonowal

During a discussion held with the Assam Tea Tribes Students Association in the conference room of CM’s Office at Janata Bhawan, Sonowal said that, the committee will be formed with State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Labour Minister Pallab Lochan Das, Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam VK Pipersenia and several other senior officers of various departments, the Chief Minister added.

Reiterating state government’s commitment to ensure social and economic security to the tea gardens under Assam Tea Corporation, the Assam CM announced that this committee will work to formulate modalities and mechanism for taking up plans and activities for bringing a permanent solution plaguing the tea gardens under ATC.

Sonowal further stressed on the need to prepare a roadmap for addressing the same.

The Assam CM also informed the ATTSA representatives that concerted efforts are being made in the tea garden areas to improve the health care facilities.

“Keeping this in view, mobile medical units with modern medical facilities are operationalzed which will render health care services four to five days every month. Altogether eighty such units are pressed into service in the entire state,” Sonowal said.

The Assam CM further added that the Government will arrange permanent health care institutions with modern facilities in every tea garden in a phase manner.

He also informed that the state government has seriously viewed man-elephant conflict in the Assam-Nagaland border areas.

The ATTSA representatives also submitted a memorandum to the Assam CM in the meeting.

State Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Labour Minister Pallab Lochan Das, MLAS Teros Gowala, Sanjay Kishan, Chief Secretary to the Assam government VK Pipersenia and several other senior officers of the state government were present in the meeting.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)