Agartala, October 12: The Tripura Jute Mill management and the state government, in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling, are obligated to settle all outstanding dues owed to 1638 workers of the Tripura Jute Mill by January 3, 2024.
This was disclosed by Dhanamani Sinha, convenor of the Joint Movement Committee of Jute Mill Workers, during a press conference at the Agartala Press Club on Thursday in presence of Tarun Chakraborty, president of the Pensioner Welfare Society of Tripura Jute Mill, and leaders from various trade unions.
It is estimated that the total outstanding amount owed to the workers will amount to approximately Rs 207 crore.
A long-standing legal battle between the management and trade unions, namely the Jute Mill Sramik Parichalak Karmachari Mancha and Chatkal Sramik Union, has been ongoing since 1996.
This legal dispute, originating in the High Court, has now culminated in a Supreme Court ruling mandating that all outstanding amounts must be settled by January 3, 2024.
A total of 1638 workers from the Tripura Jute Mill stand to benefit from this one-time settlement, which totals Rs 207 crore.
Despite an appeal made by the state government and management to the Supreme Court on October 9, the apex court reaffirmed its prior ruling.
In the interim, on October 10, the Tripura High Court decreed that by November 28, Tripura’s Finance Secretary, Secretary of the Industry Department, MD of Jute Mill, and Director of the Industry Department must appear in court and submit an affidavit outlining when they will make the one-time settlement payments in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order.
The Joint Movement Committee of Jute Mill Workers also alleges that the government and the jute mill authorities have been diverting land for various purposes without addressing the outstanding dues of the workers, many of whom are retired, and some have even passed away.
They have vehemently demanded that both the management and the government promptly settle the outstanding amounts owed to the workers.
