Tea Garden Labourers Block Silchar–Imphal Highway Over Pending Wages, Protest Withdrawn After DC’s Assurance

Tea garden labourers of the Pallorband Estate in Cachar staged a protest on Saturday morning (September 6), blocking the crucial Silchar–Imphal Highway and causing a traffic jam stretching nearly 2 km on both sides. The agitation was called over delayed wages, non-provision of rations, and pending arrears.

The day-long protest came to an end only after District Commissioner Mridul Yadav and Senior Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta intervened, assuring the workers that their demands would be addressed in coordination with the estate management.

Labourers from at least five divisions of the estate joined the protest, alleging that they had not received wages for several months, were denied rations, and faced repeated delays in receiving their Puja bonus. “Leave aside the facilities we demand, we are not even getting our wages paid,” said one protesting worker. Another recalled that last year, their bonus was released just a day before Durga Puja.

Speaking at the protest site, DC Mridul Yadav said, “The wages that were supposed to be paid on Monday have not been cleared even by Saturday. We have spoken to the owner and management, and they have assured us that wages will be paid on Monday (September 8). The ration will be distributed today itself. As for arrears and bonus, a court decision is pending and is expected by Monday, after which we hope the matter will be resolved.”

Back in December 2024, too, the labourers protested with the same demand, which led to intervention from the District Commissioner to solve the issue.

Following the assurance, the labourers withdrew their blockade in the evening. The protest ended peacefully without any police action, with people crediting dialogue and timely intervention for the resolution.