Ahead of polls, Assam cabinet hikes daily wage of tea garden workers

Saturday’s cabinet decision comes six days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced at a poll rally in Assam that if the party comes to power in the state it would hike the wages from ₹167 to ₹365 daily.

Published on: Feb 20, 2021, 19:01:32 IST

By Utpal Parashar | Edited by Sohini Sarkar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

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

Nearly 1.1 million workers are employed in around 800 tea gardens in the state especially in upper Assam. (GETTY IMAGES).

Parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary informed after the meeting that 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 an increase in their daily wages to ₹351 for a long time. In 2018, the state government had increased wages of tea garden workers by ₹30 taking it to ₹167.

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.

Saturday’s cabinet decision comes six days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced at a poll rally in Assam that if the party comes to power in the state it would hike the wages from ₹167 to ₹365 daily.

Nearly 1.1 million workers are employed in around 800 tea gardens in the state especially in upper Assam. These workers and their families have a significant role in the outcome of nearly 40 of the total 126 seats in the state assembly.

Saturday’s wage hike is just one of the many schemes the BJP-led government has announced for this section of voters since coming to power for the first time in the state in 2016.

They include the promise of scheduled tribe status to the tea-tribe community and cash transfers of ₹2500/ ₹3000 to bank accounts of nearly 8 lakh tea garden workers at a cost of ₹220 crore to the state exchequer.

Other benefits include free rice, cash benefits to pregnant women, reservation of seats in educational institutions, setting up schools in tea gardens as well as providing mobile phones, bicycles, money to meritorious students and funds to young men to set up small businesses.

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

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.