Doomdoma (Assam), Jan 25: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday launched grant of one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 each to over 6 lakh tea garden workers, in line with a slew of developmental schemes the state government has rolled out for the community.
The BJP-led government has been focusing on adivasis and tea tribes in a bid to reach out to the sizeable community ahead of the upcoming assembly elections – from assuring ownership of land in ‘labour lines’ of tea estates to reserving government jobs to enhancing education and healthcare facilities.
Traditionally viewed as Congress’ ‘vote bank’, the BJP has made major inroads in gaining confidence of the community, with the tea tribes playing an important role in the saffron party’s victories in the assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state since 2014.
The community holds sway in a number of constituencies in upper and northern Assam, with a fairly large percentage also residing in the Barak Valley.
Addressing a gathering at the launch of the ‘Eti Koli Duti Paat’ scheme, Sarma said when he had assumed office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to concentrate on the development of the underprivileged, especially the tea tribes.
“We have been focusing on development of the community and have achieved notable progress in these five years,” he asserted.
The CM said that just as Assam is known for its rich tea leaves, the toil of the workers also must be duly recognised and the state government is working in that direction, with the scheme launched on the occasion a step towards it.
Sarma also used the occasion to garner support for the BJP, urging the people to vote for the saffron party to “continue enjoying benefits of various schemes”.
Elaborating on the different welfare measures for the tea tribes, Sarma said 3 per cent reservation for eligible youth of the community in all Grade-3 and Grade-4 state government posts was introduced last year, with the first batch of selected youths receiving appointment letters recently.
The reservation will be extended to Grade-1 and Grade-2 posts, too, he said.
Sarma said made mention of amending an existing law to provide ownership of ‘labour line’ land in the tea estates to the workers residing there, and said forms will be distributed from February to claim ownership.
He said 120 high schools have been opened in tea gardens, with another 100 to be inaugurated soon.
Altogether, 27 MBBS seats in the state’s medical colleges have also been reserved for the tea tribe students, which will increase to 40 from this year, the chief minister said.
He also spoke about scholarships provided to these students, besides development of other infrastructure, including mobile medical units with a focus on maternal health.
The ‘Jhumoir’ dance of the tea tribes was showcased before the world in Guwahati, and a performance will soon be arranged in the national capital, he said.
At the same programme, Sarma also inaugurated mobile creches and mobile toilet services to “ensure child care, health, dignity and a safer work environment for the workforce”.
Later, taking to X, he posted: “Whatever Assam does, it does at scale! Today, over 6 lakh tea garden workers received Rs 5,000 each as a mark of gratitude for their hard work, which has made tea synonymous with Assam.”
He said the scheme is also in sync with the Assam Tea celebrating 200 years.
“This community, for over 200 years, has toiled hard to give Assam Tea its distinct identity and can be truly termed as Assam’s tryst with industries. The people of the state acknowledge their unparalleled contributions and our govt promises to keep working for their welfare,” Sarma added.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that over Rs 300 crore was being disbursed as a one-time financial assistance to over 6 lakh tea garden workers, across 836 tea gardens in 27 districts and 73 assembly constituencies. (PTI)
