Mother Teresa charity employees arrested for allegedly selling babies
Ranchi, July 5 : Two persons including a nun of the Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa, have been arrested for selling children, police said on Thursday.
According to Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anish Gupta, the FIR was lodged by the Child Welfare Society against the Missionaries of Charities on Wednesday.
Police interrogated the Charity head, sisters and other staff. One staffer was arrested on Wednesday night and the nun was arrested on Thursday.
As per the FIR, a baby, born to a pregnant girl staying in the Charity Home, was sold to a childless couple from Uttar Pradesh.
Police questioned two nuns -- Konsilia and Meridian. According to police, they have admitted to their crime. Police have also shifted 13 pregnant girls staying in the charity home.
According to police, six newborn babies have been sold to childless couple in the last one year.
The selling of children came to light when the couple, who had taken a new born baby from the charity home, complained that they had paid Rs 1.20 lakh for medical care and delivery of the child.
They brought the newborn baby in May. However, the baby was taken back by the charity home with assurances of returning it back after court procedures.
The couple complained to the Child Welfare Society after they failed to get the child.
Police are investigating the case. According to police, the incident is a case of human trafficking and they are trying to reach to root of the trafficking.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Hike in Assam tea garden workers' daily wage by Rs 30 from Apr 1
Guwahati (PTI): The Assam government has announced increasing the daily wage of tea garden workers by Rs 30 from next month, an official notification said.
The hike will be applicable for workers in estate gardens as well as in small tea gardens in the state, which is the country's largest tea-producing state.
"Consequent upon the recommendation of Minimum Wages Advisory Board for tea plantation workers of Assam in its meeting on 26.2.2026, Governor of Assam is pleased to allow an interim increase of Rs 30 in the interim minimum wages of the tea plantation workers with effect from 1.4.2026," the notification issued on March 7 said.
Accordingly, tea workers in Brahmaputra valley will receive Rs 280 per day against the existing Rs 250, while those in Barak valley will be paid Rs 258 daily against the current Rs 228 from April one.
ALSO READ: Several hotels, restaurants continue to operate under strain amid commercial LPG supply crisis
The increase in the interim wages will also be applicable for workers engaged in small tea gardens both in Brahmaputra and Barak valley, the notification added.
The minimum daily wage of tea garden workers was last hiked in the state by Rs 18 in October 2023.
The state Cabinet had approved the hike in the daily wages by Rs 30 on February 26, following a tripartite meeting held earlier that day between the state government, tea garden labour unions and owners on the issue of increasing the wages.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said after the Cabinet meeting that as new Labour Codes were being implemented by the Centre, wages will have to be hiked again and the stakeholders will "probably have to sit again in the next six months".
The final daily wages for the tea garden workers are likely to cross Rs 300 after that, he had added.
