Tinsukia: The 11-day-long lockout of Teok Tea Estate in Assam’s Jorhat district will be lifted in a phase-wise manner from Thursday. This was decided following a meeting held at the office of deputy commissioner of Jorhat on Wednesday.
The meeting, headed by deputy commissioner Roshani A Korati, was attended by representatives of the tea estate management, officials of labour commissioner’s office, members of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangh (ACMS) and representatives of labourers of all five divisions.
The management of Teok Tea Estate declared the lockout on September 1, a day after lynching of the garden’s resident doctor Deben Dutta inside the garden premises allegedly by garden workers.
Talking to EastMojo, Korati said that the the decision was taken on September 7 when a memorandum was signed after several rounds of tripartite talks between the garden management and the workers’ union. “We wanted to wait for the shraddha (last rites) of Dutta to get completed before the garden is opened,” Korati said.
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“It has been decided that on September 12, the lockout will be lifted from Khanikor and Dalim divisions of Teok tea estate, next day lockout will be lifted from Namisu division and on September 14 Teok and Jogduar divisions will be opened,” Korati said, adding, “A written assurance has been given by the workers.”
According to sources, the one-man commission appointed by the state government to probe the incident will hold a public hearing at the Teok revenue circle office from 1 pm to 5 pm on Thursday.
“Any person, organisation, having any information or evidence regarding the incident could appear before the state finance department commissioner and secretary Shyam Jagannathan and submit the same before the one-man commission probing the incident,” a source in the administration added.
Jagannathan has been asked to carry out the inquiry regarding the killing and submit its report within 30 days.
The Jorhat police have so far arrested over 40 persons in connection with the lynching of a doctor by an unruly mob on August 31.
