In a compassionate turn of events, the Supreme Court of India has directed the governments of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam to disburse Rs. 20 lakh—earmarked as remuneration for retired Supreme Court judge Justice AM Sapre—to widows of deceased tea estate workers facing grave financial distress.
The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan during the hearing of a long-standing case concerning unpaid dues to tea estate workers. The bench noted with deep appreciation that Justice Sapre had declined to accept the amount, choosing instead to have the funds allocated to deserving families.
“Justice AM Sapre, retired judge of this court has expressed inability to accept the amount as directed by this court considering the cause involved. We really appreciate this gesture… We honour his sentiments,” the Court recorded in its order.
The Court has now instructed the concerned state governments to collaborate with amicus curiae, Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, to identify cases where widows of deceased tea workers are in dire need. The aim is to provide additional support to these families using the amount that Justice Sapre declined.
During the proceedings, Agarwal informed the Court that the quantification of dues in Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu had been completed. He suggested the funds could benefit widows particularly in difficult circumstances, such as families with girl children. Justice Oka added that “some gross cases” deserving immediate attention should be prioritized. The same direction will apply to West Bengal once its report is filed.
This development follows the Court’s April 17, 2025, order which had directed the States of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam to pay Rs. 5 lakh each to Justice Sapre as a one-time honorarium for his role in ensuring the release of long-overdue payments to tea estate workers.
The larger legal battle dates back to 2006 when the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers filed a petition seeking payment of wages and benefits to tea workers. Although the Supreme Court had directed disbursement of dues in 2010, significant non-compliance led to contempt proceedings in 2012.
In 2020, the Court ordered interim relief of Rs. 127 crores and appointed Justice Sapre to lead a one-member committee to compute the exact dues. The committee’s report revealed that Rs. 414.73 crores were owed to workers and Rs. 230.69 crores to the Provident Fund Department.
Following this, in 2023, the Court mandated the payment of Rs. 645 crores to 28,556 workers from 25 tea gardens, including those under Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL). The Assam government, on December 9, 2024, assured the Court it would pay the remaining Rs. 70 crores to workers employed in 15 estates managed by ATCL.
The Supreme Court, in its latest order, not only recognized the selfless service of Justice Sapre but reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of thousands of tea estate workers and their families who have long awaited justice.
