Guwahati, Dec. 7: The Assam Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which aims to bring benefits to tea garden workers on a par with employees in other industries, was tabled in the Assembly today.

Assam forest minister Atuwa Munda tabled the bill on behalf of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who also holds the labour and employment portfolio, on the inaugural day of the winter session.

The Assam Gratuity Act, 1992, was enacted about 22 years ago for tea garden and tea factory employees of the state. At that time, the benefits envisaged in the act were on a par with those under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, which covers all industrial employees of the country.

Since then, the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 has been amended several times by Parliament, enhancing the quantum of gratuity, thereby necessitating amendment to the Assam Gratuity Act, 1992 to ensure that benefits accrued to tea garden and tea factory employees in the state are on a par with those of the other industrial employees.

The amendment bill enhances the maximum gratuity payable to the employees of tea garden and tea factories from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh.

AGP legislator Phani Bhusan Choudhury, however, raised questions on the bill's delay. He said the bill was passed in the Assembly on July 16, 2009 and then sent to the Union ministry of home affairs for the President's assent, as required prior to its enactment. The ministry, vide a letter dated August 21, 2014, communicated the President's message, dated August 13, 2014, suggesting certain amendments to the bill.

He said according to constitutional provisions, the President's message ought to have been placed in the Assembly within six months but the state labour and employment department could not do so, As a result, the earlier bill lapsed and the need for a new bill arose. He questioned why the department had failed to place the President's message within six months and who was responsible for it. He sought an inquiry and action against those found guilty for the lapse. He said the bill should have been passed many months ago and the need to bring it afresh should not have arisen.

On this, Munda said a departmental inquiry would be conducted and according to the findings, appropriate action would be taken.

Senior tea community leaders were, however, cautious in their reaction.

Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha adviser Bhimananda Tanti said, "Let the bill be passed first". Assam PCC vice-president and former chairman of the party tea cell Bhagirath Karan echoed Tanti.

The Congress-led government also held a meeting of the PCC tea cell, chaired by Munda, this evening with the objective of the organising the community before the 2016 Assembly elections. The tea community, which plays a significant role in 35 Assembly constituencies, has been gradually drifting away from the Congress. This was more than evident in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls where the BJP won the Congress's traditional Jorhat and Dibrugarh seats.