Demand to implement minimum wages for plantation workers in RS

A demand to implement minimum wages for plantation workers in tea gardens of Assam was made in the Rajya Sabha today.

The issue was raised during the Zero Hour in the Upper House by Congress leader Santiuse Kujur who informed that 8 lakh plantation workers in the state are in a "pitiable" condition without basic amenities as their wages are vey low.

There is a need to implement minimum wages in tea gardens in Assam, which produces one the world's best tea, he said.

Bhubaneshwar Kalita (Cong) demanded the government take immediate steps to stop man-made floods in Assam due to release of water by the NHPC.

B Lingaiah Yadav (TRS) said there is no railway network in Suryapet district of Telangana and demanded the government to conduct a survey.

Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) raised the issue of caste-based reservation and said a survey needs to be conducted to know the exact population and their plight.

Expressing concern over costly fares of Kerala-bound flights, Elamaran Kareem (CPI-M) said high fares were affecting Keralites travelling home during festivals like Onam and Eid.

The government should intervene in the matter and also restart wide-body aircraft, he added.