Darjeeling, 16th June: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met Santosh Gangwar, Union Minister for Labour and Employment, and highlighted Aadhar card and KYC-related problems faced by workers in tea gardens and cinchona gardens from Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars region.
“I am happy to share the news that Hon’ble Minister has approved an extension of 3-months for the completion of Aadhar seeding processes,” MP Bista said in a statement.
The MP also requested him to enable Aadhar camps in all the tea gardens and cinchona gardens, so that the workers don’t suffer due to the non-availability of Aadhar facilities in the region.
So far, both the Tea Garden workers and Cinchona Garden workers have been denied their Parja Patta rights (right to their land), which has continued to render them economically and socially marginalized. Since the state governments have failed to take the necessary steps to rectify this situation, Bista requested the minister to introduce legislation guaranteeing land rights for all plantation workers.
In view of the delay in implementation of the Labour Codes enacted by the Parliament, Minister Santosh Gangwar informed him that the delay was due to the ongoing pandemic and that the new Labour Codes will be implemented very soon.
“I am most hopeful that in due course of time, we will be able to initiate a legislation guaranteeing Parja Patta rights for all our tea garden and cinchona garden workers,” Bista added.