Karimganj: Two persons have died allegedly due to starvation in a tea garden in Assam`s Cachar district, a nongovernmental organisation claimed on Friday. The deaths due to alleged starvation were, however, denied by Tea Association of India.
The two have died at Bhuvan Valley tea garden, owned by a Kolkata based company, due to alleged starvation, malnutrition and diseases caused by lack of medical care and attention, Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC)
said.
The garden was closed for four months from October 8, 2011 to February 8, 2012 and the labourers did not receive any wages which led to the starvation deaths, BHRPC secretary general Neharul Ahmed Mazumder claimed.
The two had died on February 18 and February 22 and have been identified, he said adding the toll in the garden allegedly due to starvation rose to 12 in the garden during the last six months.
The garden re-opened on February 9 but its authorities have still not taken any positive actions in terms of providing urgent medical and food support.
BHRPC team met 43 sick people on February 9 in the three divisions of the garden who were in need of urgent medical and nutritional support, he said.
Tea Association of India assistant secretary D Bhattacharjee said the two deaths were natural, while Cachar superintendent of police Diganta Bora said an inquiry into the incident and a report would be submitted soon.
PTI
