Assam Cabinet Hikes Wages of Tea Labourers to Rs 217

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Cabinet on Saturday hiked the daily wages of tea labourers besides taking a slew of other decisions. Now, the daily wage of tea garden labourers — in both the Brahmaputra and the Barak valleys – will be Rs 217 in place of Rs 167 which they have been getting till date.

Speaking to the media after the Cabinet meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said, "The Cabinet has hiked the daily wages of the tea garden workers by Rs 50. We had hiked the wage by Rs 30 earlier also; hence, the total hike is Rs 80 during the tenure of the present government. This is the highest-ever increase in the wages of the assam tea garden labourers in the State."

He added, "Moreover, each of them will get Rs 101 daily for meeting their expenses of ration and other facilities. Therefore, they will be getting Rs 318 daily."

Referring to the demand of labourers working in the small tea growers' gardens for equal wage at par with their counterparts in the larger tea gardens, the Minister said, "The government has set up a one-man committee under Principal Secretary Dr J.B. Ekka to examine this issue. Appropriate decisions will be taken after the report is filed by the committee."

The other decisions of the Cabinet include the following: Creation of the 'Bodoland Administrative Staff College' under the Administrative Reforms Department as well as the 'Department for Welfare of Bodoland'; and rules were framed for "service conditions of eligibility" for the Chairman, Member Secretary and Members of the Assam Pollution Control Board.

Cabinet nod was given to the amendment of 'Guwahati Master Plan-2025' in North Guwahati, Uzan Bazar and Bharalumukh for the six-lane bridge (which is under construction) over the Brahmaputra.

The Cabinet further accorded its approval to an amendment for promulgation of an ordinance to the 'Assam Municipal Board Act' for extension of its term to 18 months (in place of 12 months) for conducting elections.

The Cabinet further decided to give "pay in time scale" of Rs 28,748 monthly to 101 vocational teachers in 57 schools; regularise the services of 580 High School teachers with effect from the date of joining in 2001; (in principle) approval for regularisation of ASDMA (Assam State Disaster Management Authority) employees; and extend the services up to 60 years of those contractual employees who have rendered at least 10 years of service in the Panchayat & Rural Development Department.

The State Cabinet also gave its nod for the allotment of 239 bigha of land to Srimanta Sankaradeva University at Hatichung in Nagaon district (subject to de-reservation procedure of Village Grazing Reserve); 1 katha land to Deepak Sangha at Guwahati in Ulubari Mouza; and 10 bigha land to the 'World Renewal Spiritual Trust' in the North Guwahati Revenue Circle under Kamrup district.

Cabinet approval was also given to purchase 8,000 wheel chairs (to be used in the forthcoming general elections and other uses thereafter).

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