Feb. 12: The Joint Forum has written to the management of all north Bengal tea estates saying the planters were not paying in cash the ration component which is shown as part of a labourer's wage.

"Ever since the National Food Security Act has been introduced, each person is being deprived of foodgrains worth about Rs 660 a month. The planters have stopped giving foodgrains, a non-cash constituent of the wage," Joint Forum convenor Ziaur Alam said.

Tea union leaders said the planters had unilaterally stopped the "payment". "The manner in which it has been stopped is illegal and the companies can't take the decision unilaterally. We have written to all managers asking them to pay the dues," Alam said.

Under the NFSA, the state gives 35kg foodgrains to each family a month. "Now, the state is giving foodgrains at the rate of Rs 2 a kg to the tea companies, who in turn distribute the same at 45 paise a kg," a union leader said. "It means, the management is saving around Rs 7 (per worker). We want the money to be paid to the workers."

The union leaders said unless the minimum wages were fixed, the planters could not stop providing foodgrains or cash to the workers.