Ahead of polls, Assam hikes tea workers’ wage to ₹217 per day

The cabinet also formed a one-member committee comprising principal secretary JB Ekka to look into ways in which a similar hike can be done in small tea gardens of the state.

Published on: Feb 21, 2021, 03:06:20 IST

By Utpal Parashar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

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The Assam cabinet on Saturday decided to increase the daily wage of tea garden workers by ₹50 from ₹167 to ₹217 ahead of the assembly polls in the state due in April-May.

The decision comes six days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced that if his party comes to power in the state it would hike wages from ₹167 to ₹365 daily. (Representative Image) (HT Photo)

After the cabinet meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said tea garden workers would also get ₹101 daily for rations — effectively taking their daily earnings to ₹318. Organisations of tea garden workers have been demanding a hike in daily wages to ₹351.

The cabinet also formed a one-member committee comprising principal secretary JB Ekka to look into ways in which a similar hike can be done in small tea gardens of the state.

The decision comes six days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced that if his party comes to power in the state it would hike wages from ₹167 to ₹365 daily.

Slamming the move as a poll gimmick, Rupesh Gowala, general secretary of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, a Congress-affiliated body, said: “We are unhappy with the decision. The BJP government promised before 2016 to raise our wages to ₹351 and after five years they increased it to only ₹217...”

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also hit out: “Sheer betrayal... Promising to raise daily wage of tea workers to ₹351 and after five years increasing it to ₹220...”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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