Ulfa (Independent), a militant group in Assam on Thursday asked Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited (APPL), the second-largest tea producer in the country to shift all its offices to Assam and recruit local people only, failing which the outfit threatened to stop activities of the company in the state.
In a statement emailed to media organisations in Guwahati, Rumel Asom, a member of the outfit's publicity wing alleged the company's head office was outside Assam and no "indigenous" people from the state were recruited even as the company was doing business in Assam.
"We are aware that you are recruiting your workers from outside Assam instead of the unemployed indigenous youths in Assam. This is contrary to the spirit of a "win-win" relationship between a corporate and the locals," said the statement.
The APPL, set up in 2007 with Tatas having maximum shares, has its operations spread across 25 tea estates in Assam and West Bengal (Dooars), covering over 23,000 hectares. It employs approximately 31,000 workers, 70% of which are shareholders. The company produces 40 million kg of tea every year.
The outfit warned that if the company failed to comply with its warning, it would take "action" to stop its business in Assam and its staff would not be allowed to move in the state.
No one from the company could be contacted for a comment but police officials said that adequate security would be provided if the company required it.