silchar ajit singh the states excise sports and youth affairs minister and a oneman inquiry committee led by additional chief secretary of assam p k chaudhary on saturday visited bhuvan valley tea estate in assams cachar district separatel at the behest of assam chief minister tarun gogoi at least 14 workers in the sprawling tea garden have allegedly died due to starvation and lack of medical facilities between october 8 2011 and february 9 this year when the garden owned by the kolkatabased bhuvan valley tea co ltd was locked out singh and chaudhary met the workers separately and heard them reiterate their problems expressing their plight the workers said no authority including the owners took care of them during the lockout there were no wages or ration and medical facilities the workers died of hunger and lack of medical facilities they said adding that although there is a nrhmrun hospital in the garden there are no doctors and nurses the workers accused dinesh prasad goala local mla lakhipur and former minister for his inaction to take control of the situation goala a senior congress leader also happens to be the general secretary of the intucaffiliated barak cha shramik union bcsu he assured the workers that he will take up the issue with the chief minister and will request him to take necessary action for the wellbeing of the garden as well as the workers they added that although the tea estate including two of its outgardens didarkush and chengjur which have 315 hectares of land under cultivation of tea was reopened after a gap of four months the owners are yet to appoint a permanent manager to run the tea estate no qualified and permanent doctor has been appointed in the nrhmrun garden hospital health conditions of another 43 people are bad who have not yet received any medical attention there is also no electricity and water available the rationing of some staple food has been started however according to the labourers both the quality and quantity of the food items supplied are not up to the mark the factory is yet to be opened sources said only 50 of the outstanding wages and bonus for 2011 have been paid while the bonus for 2010 and 2009 are still pending along with remaining 50 of the wages the owners are allegedly also yet to deposit their part of the employees provident fund the workers have living in dilapidated huts the sources added the additional chief secretary will submit a report to chief minister after returning to dispur they said