Dibrugarh: Tea gardens must declare Durga Puja bonus by Sept 20 and disburse it by Oct 5, the administration said on Saturday.The directive was issued at a meeting chaired by DC Bikram Kairi on Saturday. Officials, tea bodies, workers’ unions and Andrew Yule & Company Ltd attended the meeting.With Durga Puja scheduled from Oct 16, management was advised to finalise accounts and determine the bonus for eligible workers under Code on Wages, 2019. They must communicate the bonus rate or percentage, and ex-gratia payment, by Sept 20.“Early declaration of the bonus and timely disbursement are important to ensure that tea garden workers can make their preparations for Durga Puja without uncertainty. The management has been advised to adhere to the timelines in the interest of workers as well as industrial harmony,” Kairi added.The administration urged management to resolve bonus-related disputes through bilateral or tripartite discussions involving the labour welfare department, district administration and workers’ representatives.Under Code on Wages, the minimum bonus is 8.33% of annual wages, and the maximum is 20%.Dibrugarh has Assam’s highest number of registered tea gardens. Of the state’s 803 registered large tea estates, 177 are in the district, according to the directorate of tea tribes welfare department.“The objective is to ensure that any issue concerning bonus is addressed through dialogue and coordination and that the festive season passes peacefully without disruption to industrial relations,” Kairi said.
