Jorhat, Feb.24: Workers in tea gardens across the statestaged protests today, following a call given by the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), against the Centre's decision to reportedly stop allocation of foodgrains to gardens at subsidised rates.

Countering the allegation, the BJP Chah Morcha accused the ACMS of "spreading lies".

The ACMS, in its working committee meet on February 8 in Dibrugarh under the chairmanship of president Paban Singh Ghatowar, had decided to take out processions from the gardens to the offices of the district deputy commissioner or sub-divisional officer (civil) or revenue circle officer or the block development officer, to protest against Centre's decision and submit memoranda to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking continuation of the present system of allocation of foodgrains (rice and wheat).

The ACMS said stopping supply of foodgrains to the gardens from January had not directly affected the workers as the garden managements continued to provide ration to them at subsidised rates by buying the stocks at a much higher price from the open market but this could lead to additional financial burden on the garden companies and owners.

BJP Chah Morcha general secretary Dulen Nayak said the ACMS had been distributing leaflets in gardens, alleging that the Centre stopped providing foodgrains at subsidy rates to gain political profit in view of the ensuing Assembly polls.

Nayak accused the ACMS of being a Congress "tool" and "betraying" the workers as it did not protest against their exploitation by the planters.

He alleged that the Congress, in order to hide its "utter negligence" towards tea tribes in the past 15 years, had been trying to woo back the garden workers that had extensively voted for the BJP in the last general elections.

Nayak said the Centre had not stopped any subsidy for workers.

Industry sources said tea workers get 32.5kg-35kg of foodgrains per month for a "standard family" (worker, an adult dependent and two minor dependents), depending on the number of weeks in the particular month.

The industry earlier used to purchase foodgrains from the Food Corporation of India at a subsidised rate of Rs 8.30 per kg, along with transport cost and handling amounting up to Rs 2.70 per kg. Tea workers got foodgrains at 54 paisa per kg, but since December, foodgrains were sold at rates higher than the rates of the open market.

ACMS general secretary Dileshwar Tanti denied Nayak's charge and said leaflets had been distributed to inform the workers about the reason to organise the protests.