To
Sri Narayan Biswas,
MIC-ARD,Govt. of WB
Writers' Buliding
Kolkata
Subject: Request to fix an early date of bilateral meeting.
Sir,
Kindly, recall that the representatives of our State Working Committee meet with you on 31st December'2009 and 3rd February'2010 respectively. The representatives tabled some of the burning issues of the dairy industry before you for necessary consideration and early settlement.
However, despite your assurances for early settlement of the issues, no positive action is visible as of date. Therefore, we would once again draw your kind attention to the following issues, which demands early action from your end.
Issue No- (1): - Milk Federation is directly collecting milk from the operational areas of District Milk Unions through the private parties / vendors hampering the milk collection of DCMPU'S vis-a-vis destroying the co-operative system of economic development and economic health of the DCMPU'S.
Our Demand: - Immediate stoppage of direct milk collection by Milk Federation through private parties/middlemen/vendors from operational areas of District Milk Unions.
Issue No- (2): - Milk Federation for a considerable time is setting up bulk coolers in the areas where Chilling Plants are already in existence, thus curbing the inflow of raw milk in Chilling Plants vis-a-vis increasing the unit production cost and destroying the economic health of the plants. After erection Milk Federation is handing over the bulk coolers to DCMPU's, in turn DCMPU'S are handing over to the private parties and middlemen, completely disregarding the co-operative structure.
Our Demand: - Immediate stoppage of setting up of bulk coolers in the areas where chilling plants are already in existence. Shifting of the bulk coolers already been setup in the vicinity of chilling plants, stop handing over of bulk coolers to private parties by the DCMPU's.
Issue No- (3): - There are casual/contractual/contract workers functioning continuously more than 10 to 15 years, in the areas which are of perennial by nature of job, in the Ichhamati, Mayurakshi, Kangsaboty, Sundarbon and Damodar Milk Union against very meager wage. Where as, in the industry the permanent workers are enjoying higher wages for the same nature of jobs. Already Govt of West Bengal has announced to regularize the casual/contractual/contract workers.
Our Demand: - Immediate wage revision and regularization of casual/contractual/contract workers functional in different Milk Unions.
Issue No- (4): - There are multiple Milk Unions, where there is no regular Managing Director in office. Thus departmental officers on deputation are running those Milk Unions, hampering the normal and proper functioning of Milk Unions Such as Kangsaboty, Sundarbon etc.
Our Demand: - Immediate recruitment or deployment of permanent Managing Director for the Milk Unions by Milk Federation, under a common cadre system applicable for the officers.
Issue No- (5): - Due to lack of any proper system of disposing of adulterated milk, which are either being accepted or rejected by the dairies, run by Government, co-operatives or private, are inviting immense public health hazards thereby reducing the reputation and reliability particularly of the Government and co-operative milk marketing system of our state.
Our Demand: - Immediate adoption of proper checking and disposal system for adulterated milk either accepted or rejected by the government, co-operative and private dairies of our state.
Issue No- (6): - Due to inability in building up of primary milk co-operative societies in the planes of the Darjeeling district, utilization of available resources including infrastructure, lack of proper planning, fund utilization and product diversification over the years, HIMUL was forced to become a nonviable project. HIMUL is currently facing huge loan burden, non-payment of party bills, lack of sustainable regular supply of raw milk and lack of running capital. The workers of HIMUL are not getting the salaries as per the standards of the govt and co-operative run dairies of our state.
Our Demand: - Immediate measures to cater the shortfall of running capital, arrangements of sustainable regular raw milk supply, proper planning for long term development including building up of primary milk co-operative societies in the plane areas, proper product marketing managements and early payment of arears to workers and clearing of dues to parties and peasants.
Issue No- (7): - It has been repeatedly been requested to provide a office room to our organization. However the promises has not been kept. Our organization is federative organization of dairy workers of our state. It is quite natural that it should have a office within the premises of Milk Federation.
Our Demand: - Immediate provision of union office room along with furniture and fixture in the Milk Federation office campus.
We would request you to discuss the above issues including few others with the representatives of our state working committee for better and comprehensive understanding.
Therefore kindly fix an early convenient date of the bilateral meeting and intimate us accordingly. Preferably in the office of the Milk Federation, Salt Lake.
Yours truly,
s/d
Subodh Ganguly
President, WBSDEF
Copy to:- General Secretary, W.B Committee, CITU
SRAMIK BHAVAN, KOLKATA
