Assam mulls providing subsidised tea to ration card holders
Assam government is mulling to provide one kg of tea to the ration cardholders at subsidised price. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said all ration card holders get 5 kg of rice free of cost and health insurance up to ₹5 lakh.
Now, the state government is mulling to offer 1 kg subsidised tea at 75% cheaper than the market price and this year, also marks 200 years of Assam Tea, the chief minister said.
Assam has more than 10 lakh tea workers in the organised sector, working in about 850 big estates.
The state produces roughly 55% of India’s tea. The tea belts of Brahmaputra and Barak valleys are home to more than 60 lakh people.
Assam government recently announced that an increase in daily wages of tea garden workers by Rs 18.
With this increase, the daily wages of workers in Brahmaputra Valley stood at Rs 250.
Daily wages in Barak Valley stood at Rs 228. The new wages for tea garden workers came into effect from October 1.
