Shorthand Dictation 80 Words per minute “ Plantations Labour ” , Test 5 Minutes with 5 Minutes Audio Dictation, Shorthand Outline and Text Matter. Test 21

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Mr. Vice-Chairman, Sir, I rise to support the plantations Labour (Amendment) Bill brought up by the Government for our/ consideration.

          Sir, the sad PLIGHT of millions of TOILING people who sweat on various plantations in the country to earn/ valuable foreign exchange for us is really too much to be expressed in words.  These workers live and work in / most inhuman and PITIABLE conditions.  These plantations include tea, coffee, CINCHONA, rubber, etc. and as we know, tea alone is/ one of the major foreign exchange earners of our country.  But, Sir, it is indeed most REGRETTABLE that NOTWITHSTANDING a (100) lapse of 62 years since our Independence, these workers who earn crores and crores of rupees by way of/ foreign exchange have to live in most miserable conditions.  They live in house that are most INSECURE and COLLAPSE frequently/ and when these workers die as a result of these collapses, their guardians or their DEPENDANTS do not get even/ due compensation for the loss that they have to bear, UNHYGIENIC living in distant and FARFLUNG areas COMPUNDED with/ lack of medical and educational facilities make their life UTTERLY miserable.  These plantation workers have to live in ABJECT poverty (200) like slaves of their employers. And, as we know, most of these plantations are still foreign-owned establishments, last VESTIGES of/ the COLONIAL rule, the BRITISH RULE, and, as I said, it is a matter of deep regret for all of /us that despite enacting an Act, the Plantations Labour Act, 2001 we have not yet been/ able to EFFECT any improvement in their conditions.  I think the employers alone are not responsible for their miserable condition. / We are also as much responsible as they are because although we could enforce the enactment and we could improve (300) their conditions much earlier, we have failed in doing so.

          Sir, on the 9^th May, 2003/ this House, the Rajya Sabha, decided that a Joint Committee should be appointed to look into the desired amendment and put up a draft, as early as possible for own consideration.  On the 26^th May, 2003/ the Lok Sabha also adopted our Resolution, our motion with the result that a 45- Member committee, in which 15 representative were from the Rajya Sabha and 30 from the Lok Sabha, was appointed the look into the matter.