\nGuwahati, May 28 NNN : The steadfast stand of the Assam government over last year\u2019s death of labourers in a tea estate in Assam as that of \u2018natural deaths\u2019 has been dismissed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today. The NHRC not only dismissed the Assam government\u2019s version but has asked the latter to pay compensation to the kins of the victims.
\nAfter conducting thorough investigations by the NHRC it was found out that the labourers died of starvation and not otherwise as claimed by the government of Assam.
\nOn Monday, the NHRC as the Tarun Gogoi government to compensate the victims.
\nLed by Justice KG Balakrishnan, a team of NHRC on Monday heard 50 cases pertaining to human rights violation. The rights commission managed to close 17 cases and then recommended Rs 17lakh a monetary relief in the case pertaining to starvation deaths in southern Assam\u2019s Bhuban Valley Tea Estate last year.
\nLocal rights bodies had attributed the death of 14 labourers to starvation induced by a prolonged lockout in the estate. However, a probe ordered by the Cachar district administration said the labourers died of natural causes.
\n\u201cOf the 14, only one died of some disease while starvation and malnutrition led to the death of the others,\u201d an NHRC spokesperson said. \u201cWe have asked the government to pay Rs 2lakh each to two tea garden workers and Rs 1lakh each to the dependents of 13 labourers who died due to starvation.\u201d
\nBesides asking the state government to compensate the starvation victims, the NHRC also directed the former to find out whether or not the Tea Association of India has been distributing highly subsidized food grains smoothly to the workers.
\nCases such as the reported eviction of 6,000 Adivasis by forest officials in western Assam\u2019s Kokrajhar district, witch-hunting, the rehabilitation of children rendered orphans or destitute in communal riots in eastern Assam, illegal coal mining in eastern Assam\u2019s Tinsukia district besides deaths in encounter and custody, denial of basic facilities to the residents of 22 villages in central Assam\u2019s Kamrup district, witch-hunting and deprivation of source of livelihood to 300 families facing eviction.<\/p>\n\n