Asom registers cases against defaulting tea estates

Guwahati, July 24 (UNI) The Asom government has taken action against a number of tea gardens which have not deposited the employees provident fund, labour and employment minister Prithvi Majhi informed the state Assembly here today.

Replying to a question, he said as many as 213 gardens have been found defaulting and the government has so far registered 691 'bakijai' cases against the faulty companies apart from 59 criminal cases against 31 tea estates.

Four officials of the gardens have also been arrested, he added.

He said 36 gardens in the Barak valley have been found erring.

Mr Majhi said the state has a total of 855 tea gardens, including 15 belonging to the state run Asom Tea Corporation. None of the tea corporation gardens have been declared sick so far, he added.

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