Kohima, August 3 (DIPR): “Society cannot progress if a section of its people is left behind,” observed the Governor of Assam& Nagaland, P.B. Acharya in an interactive programme with a delegation of Tea Tribe organizations at Raj Bhavan on July 31.
Governor, Acharya in the interactive programme with a delegation of 25 members discussed the 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, BJP Assam Pradesh Siba Prasad Bodra requested the Governor to introduce reservation for the students belonging to tea tribe community in Guwahati University and other Universities of Assam in line with Dibrugarh University.
Addressing the problem of Education, Governor Acharya said that Education is the only tool to empowerment and stressed upon to build more schools and colleges in the tea garden areas. He added that skill based education should take over the conventional education. Also empathizing with the tea tribe organization, the Governor said that he being the Chancellor of Universities of the State he would definitely do the needful for introduction of reservation for the tea tribes.
The Governor also commented that all the Universities in Assam should act on the 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 can be taken.
Acharya also said that he would talk to the government for setting up of one model school covering every five tea gardens.
The Governor also asked the Commissioner of Assam Tea Employee’s Welfare Board to check the lower wage structure board for the tea garden labourers working in the Barak valley and stressed for having 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 that to address the socio economic development of the tea garden labourer community at large, the benefits of the schemes should be fully utilized at the grass root level.
Member of Parliament from Jorhat, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa present in the meeting assured the tea tribe organizations that all possible steps would be taken for the uplift of the tea labourers.
The Governor also urged upon the media to highlight the issues confronting the tea garden labourer community so that their problems could be addressed accordingly. This was stated in a press release issued by the Raj Bhavan.
