Picture by UB Photos Guwahati, March 1: The state government-owned Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) is reeling under a net loss of Rs 510 crore. Established in 1972, the ATCL with 15 gardens and four factories spread over the Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys, has 16,695 employees, including 15,523 permanent workers. The minister said the corporation had to take over management of sick tea gardens in the 1970s to save them from closure and avoid unemployment of several thousands of tea workers. Bhumij and BJP legislator Terash Gowalla said the ATCL workers were paid daily wage of Rs 115 in the Brahmaputra Valley and Rs 95 in Barak Valley, which according to them is too less and it needs to be enhanced. Opposition leader and Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia protested against Patowary's statement on tea workers' unions, describing it as "undemocratic".

Source: The Telegraph March 01, 2017 22:18 UTC