The Assam cabinet has approved a 20% bonus for employees and workers of the Assam Tea Corporation ahead of Durga Puja. The move will benefit thousands of tea workers across 90 tea estates in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision, according to news agency ANI. Earlier this month, the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) union confirmed that seven major tea groups — including McLeod Russel, Andrew Yule, Dhunseri, Goodricke and the Luxmi Group — had already agreed to give workers the same bonus.
“This is a landmark achievement for our tea workers, who are the backbone of Assam’s economy. We have been urging the industry to pay the maximum bonus, and this decision by seven major groups covering 90 estates will make a big difference to workers’ lives during the festive season,” said ACMS general secretary Rupesh Gowala, as per the Times of India report.
Tea is central to Assam’s economy, with the state producing more than half of India’s total output. In the financial year 2024–25, Assam produced 629.34 million kilograms of tea.
Of this, 71.43 million kilograms were exported, earning $248.2 million. Auction prices also rose sharply, from ₹184.72 per kilogram in 2023–24 to ₹251.18 in 2024–25, according to Kishore Upadhyay, Chairman of the Assam Small Industries Development Corporation.
Upadhyay also credited the Chief Minister’s initiatives for helping the industry grow. He added that Mobile Green Leaf Testing Laboratories had been launched in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Charaideo districts with support from the FSSAI. These labs allow on-site quality testing, improving efficiency and ensuring better quality control.
(Edited by : Vivek Dubey)
