Tea garden workers ignored in Assam: Arjun Munda

The ruling Congress has ignored tea garden workers in Assam who have suffered apathy and neglect for long, Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda alleged today.

"The Congress has exploited tea garden workers using them merely as a vote-bank during elections and neglecting them thereafter," Munda told a BJP election rally at Ainathal in Hailakandi assembly constituency which has a sizeable tea cultivating population whose ancestors came from Jharkhand.

"The daily wage of garden workers is very low and the BJP will increase this if it is voted to power," he said.

Health facilities, education and roads in tea gardens, are extremely poor with the Congress paying no attention in the last ten years of rule, he claimed.

"If BJP forms the government it will take several measures to improve their condition," Munda said.

The Jharkhand chief minister claimed that development in BJP-ruled states in the country was much higher than Congress-ruled states with Gujarat being a shining example.

"There is not only Hindu-Muslim unity, but also a close bond between members of all communities which has led to development and we hope to bring the same to Assam," he said.