GUWAHATI: Finally, Assam Cabinet gave its nod for the hike in minimum wages of tea garden labourers in the state
The move is expected to benefit over 10 lakh workers across 800 gardens of the state, which produce about 55 per cent of the country’s tea.
The supply of food grains to the workers by the management would continue as usual.
“The cabinet has decided to hike in the wage of tea labourers from existing Rs 232 to Rs 250 (in Brahmaputra Valley) and Rs 210 to Rs 228 (in Barak Valley),” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters after chairing a cabinet meeting at Gandhi Mandap here on Monday night.
“The new wage will be effective from October 1,” Sarma said.
The state cabinet has decided to hike in wages of the tea garden labourers of the state in the aftermath of Mamata Banerjee government announcing a hike in wages of tea workers by Rs 18.
On September 22, the Chief Minister chaired a meeting of the tea planters organisations for the fixation of tea labourer wages at CM’s Conference Hall of Janata Bhawan.
The meeting will be attended by representatives of the Indian Tea Association (ITA), Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA), Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA), Tea Association of India (TAI), North Eastern Tea Association 9NETA) and Bharatiya Chah Parishad (BCP).
In the last hike, which effected from August 1, 2022, tea garden workers in Brahmaputra Valley got Rs 232 a day, up from Rs 205 a day. Garden workers from Barak Valley saw their daily wage hiked to Rs 210 from Rs 183 a day.
Sarma also said the state government has already directed to pay 20 per cent bonuses to the tea garden labourers under Assam Tea Corporation (ATC) before Durga Puja Festival.
The state government has already decided to reserve 3 per cent of grade III and grade IV posts in government departments for the tea garden labourers of the state.
Teachers not used for survey
“Teachers have not been used for any survey, but they have been engaged only for extra-curricular activities,” Sarma.
“They are not engaged for any survey except from census. And for that, they have been paid by the government,” Sarma said.
“Teachers have been used for some extra-curricular activities like tree plantation. These are parts of the curriculum of schools. But a section of people are dragging these issues to social media platforms to mislead people, which we have already rejected,” he added.
In another key decision, the cabinet okayed the proposal for setting up of Bajali district on October 11. However, the status of Bhanipur and Sorbhog will be announced by the government within a month.
The cabinet also gave its nod to the proposal for giving scooters to female students who passed the higher secondary (HS) exam bearing 60 per cent marks. The scooters will be provided in November.
In another major decision, the cabinet decided to reserve one post of DSP and magistrate for Moran and Matack community candidates.
The cabinet also decided to extend insurance cover for employees of municipality boards and town committees up to Rs 2 lakh for accidental death.
