Shorthand Dictation 80 Words per minute “ Plantation Bill” , Test 10 Minutes with 10 Minutes Audio Dictation, Shorthand Outline and Text Matter. Test 18

Mr.Vice-Chairman, Sir, the Plantations Labour Bill, 2003, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on/the 6th March, 2003/. Then, it was referred to a Joint Committee of both the House/ and this Joint Committee submitted its report in 2005.  Now, we are discussing this Bill today/ after six years of the submission of the report by the Joint Committee.  Hence, the Bill would not be able to/ deal with the present-day expectations of the workers of the plantations.  The original Act in regard to the (100) plantation labour, namely, the Act of 2001 itself provided various welfare measures for the plantation labour./ But unfortunately the planters NON-CHALANTLY violated all these provisions for welfare measures.

          The main question, therefore, is the question/ of implementation of the provisions of the Act.  Mere amendments will not improve the position.  There is no provision in the/present Bill also as to how these measures these provisions, can be implemented and what the Government is thinking in/ terms of implementing these provisions.  In most cases, even the Government officials who are deputed for the purpose of inspecting (200) the gardens, they themselves side with the planters.  If Government officers themselves side with the planters, where is the remedy?/ Hence, we should DEVISE ways and means and adopt measures so that the provisions which are made in the Act/ and the Bill, the present Bill, are implemented properly.

          Sir, the provisions in the present Bill fall for short of/ the expectations of the working population in the plantations.  In the present Bill, it has been suggested the ACREAGE/ of the plantations in regard to which this Act, will be applied will be reduced to 5 HECTARES. But this (300) is also not sufficient, because under this also, the owners, the planters will take shelter and many of the plantations/ will still remain uncovered.  This should be further reduced to 2.5 hectares.  So far as compensation for house/collapse is concerned, it has been said here that if the occupant of a house is directly responsible for the/ collapse, he will not be entitled to COMPENSATION.  Under this provision, Sir, the employers will take shelter and deprive many workers of getting compensation.  Sir, it is known to everybody that the plantation industry is the biggest foreign exchange industry. (400 words) .     The productivity of this industry in India can increase only if the labour are CONTENTED. Contented labour alone can/improve the efficiency and productivity of the plantation industry. So, the need of the hour is not to bring such / PIECEMEAL legislation. What is needed today is a comprehensive Bill which should deal with all aspects of the working conditions/of the plantation labour. The need of the day is to introduce such a Bill where workers we have full/participation in managing the garden and this plantation industry should be nationalize immediately.

Sir, Assam is one of the most important (500) tea producing States in the country. There, formerly the tea gardens were owned by the Britishers. Now the Indians/have purchased those gardens. After these gardens have gone to the hands of the Indian planters, the situation has not/improved; rather it has DETERIORATED, the efficiency of the gardens has deteriorated. Even the local people and educated tea labour/youths are being deprived of getting employment in the gardens. Therefore, steps should immediately be taken to nationalize this industry./ Here, Sir, I would like to inform the House that in 1998-99 the ruing (600) Janata Party in the Assam Assembly had adopted a resolution UNANIMOUSLY for nationalization of tea industry in Assam. If the/ Government is not willing to nationalize the entire plantation industry, I would request that the Government should take early steps/at least to nationalise the tea industry in Assam. It is a very vital mater for the economic self-sufficiency/of Assam State and it is very important from the point of view of increasing efficiency and productivity of the/gardens also.

I would like the Government not only to pass this Amendment Bill which I have risen to support (700) but also to ensure its implementation, as best as it can; otherwise, getting it passed and keeping a copy of/ it in the library or elsewhere, will not improve the conditions of the plantation workers. I want proper implementation, proper/enforcement of the law and I want that desired amenities and facilities should be provided to these workers and it/ should be ensured that employers do provide these amenities. When this question of Joint Committee was taken up in this House,/our late friend, Mr. Bhupest Gupta, was there and he also voiced his feelings and said that these plantations (800) should be ACQUIRED by the Government. These are generally foreign-owned establishments, and they are the centres – at least in/Assam – of anti-Indian activities. These plantations deserve to be taken over by the Government as early as possible. (840 words)