State government decides to increase daily wage of tea workers by Rs. 27

Aug. 10: A meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma with the tea associations, tea garden managements and workers’ union at Janata Bhawan here today decided to increase the daily wage of tea garden workers by Rs. 27. As a result of this hike, the daily wage of the tea workers has become Rs. 232 for the Brahmaputra Valley and Rs. 210 for the Barak Valley.

It may be noted that the increase of wage will be over and above ration and other benefits. The meeting also assured to raise the government subsidy for orthodox tea from Rs. 7 to Rs. 10 per KG. On 28 May, 2021 after a meeting with Assam Tea Mazdoor Sangha and other workers’ union government decided to hike wage of the tea workers by Rs. 38 with retrospective effect from 23 February. As a result, daily wage of the tea workers became Rs. 205 from Rs. 167 in the
Brahmaputra valley and Rs. 183 from Rs. 145 for the Barak Valley. As a result of yet another hike today to Rs. 27, State government has affected 39 per cent wage hike in the last 39 months.

Moreover, under National Food Security Act, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma asked the concerned department to issue registration of more fair price shops in the tea garden areas to make the system of giving food grains to the tea workers and their family at subsidized rates stronger. He also said that those beneficiaries who have not received cards under NFSA, should be brought under the scheme at an early date.

Finance, Social Welfare Minister Ajanta Neog, Minister Welfare of Tea Tribes Sanjay Kisan, Industries and Commerce Minister Bimal Bora President Assam Tea Mazdoor Sangha Pawan Singh Ghatowar, MLA Rupesh Gowala and several senior officers of government were present at the meeting.