Assam’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led government on Friday decided to increase the daily wage of tea garden workers in the state by ₹38.
File photo: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (PTI)
The decision was taken at a meeting of representatives of various tea bodies, including Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati.
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As per the move, workers in the Brahmaputra Valley region of the state who were getting ₹167 daily as wages would now get ₹205. The daily wage of workers in Barak Valley would be hiked from ₹145 to ₹183.
In February this year, ahead of the assembly polls in the state, the previous BJP government had hiked daily wages of tea-garden workers by ₹50 taking it to ₹217 in Brahmaputra Valley and ₹195 in Barak Valley.
The move was stayed by the Gauhati High Court in March following a petition by the Indian Tea Association, the biggest organization of tea producers in India, and 17 others.
The new government committed that it would increase the wages by another ₹12, taking it to ₹217 in Brahmaputra Valley and ₹195 in Barak Valley, as done vide the earlier order, after consulting all stakeholders.
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The promise of the hike in the daily wages of tea-garden workers was an important poll issue in Assam this time. While the BJP proposed an additional ₹101 for daily ration taking it to ₹318 in Brahmaputra Valley, the Congress had promised to hike the daily wages to ₹365 if they came to power.
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The promise of the hike in the daily wages of tea-garden workers was an important poll issue in Assam this time. While the BJP proposed an additional ₹101 for daily ration taking it to ₹318 in Brahmaputra Valley, the Congress had promised to hike the daily wages to ₹365 if they came to power.
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