Assam government increases daily wage of tea garden workers ahead of Assembly polls

This comes a week after Rahul Gandhi promised increase in daily wages to Rs 365, if it comes back to power in the state

The BJP-led government in Assam on Saturday decided to increase daily wage of tea garden workers by Rs 50 from Rs 167 at present to Rs. 217, weeks before the state goes for Assembly elections.

This comes a week after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised that his party would increase the daily wage to Rs 365, if it comes back to power in the state.

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A meeting of the state Cabinet on Saturday also decided to set up a one-member committee to ensure equal wages for workers in the state's small tea gardens. The wage hike, which was decided on Saturday would be applicable for workers in over 800 big tea gardens (above 10 hectares) in the state. Assam produces over 50% of tea produced in the country and over 60 lakh people work in the tea gardens.

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Tea garden workers have been demanding for long that the daily wage be hiked to Rs 351. But the decision ahead of elections made many believe that it was aimed at wooing voters in the tea gardens, who are key in at least 40 of Assam's 126 Assembly seats. The state government had recently also transferred cash of Rs 3,000 to the bank accounts of 7.64 lakh tea garden workers under a scheme.

The government, however, did not say anything about the demand for Scheduled Tribe status to tea garden communities, along with five more ethnic communities in the state.

The Cabinet decisions also included a new department for the welfare of Bodoland region, approval for land to several organisations, regularised jobs of Assam State Disaster Management Authority and 580 high school teachers, procurement of 8,000 wheelchairs for the Assembly elections and their use later, besides others.