Guwahati: In a significant decision ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Assam government has approved a Rs 30 increase in the daily wages of tea garden workers across the state.
With the revised structure, workers in the Brahmaputra Valley will receive Rs 280 per day, while those in the Barak Valley will earn Rs 258. The hike will come into effect from April 1.
Announcing the decision at a press conference, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the proposal was cleared during a meeting of the state cabinet. He described the revision as an interim measure.
The last wage revision for tea garden workers was implemented in October 2023, when wages were increased by Rs 18.
Notably, Assam is expected to go to the polls in March–April this year.
The chief minister said a tripartite meeting was held earlier in the day involving representatives of the state government, tea garden labour unions and garden managements to discuss the wage issue.
He noted that with the implementation of new Labour Codes by the Centre, wage structures would need to be aligned accordingly. “We may have to sit again within the next six months,” he said, adding that the final daily wage is likely to cross Rs 300.
In another key decision, the cabinet approved a 5 percent reduction in Value Added Tax (VAT) on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). The Chief Minister said the move would bring ATF prices in Guwahati on par with Kolkata, improving Assam’s competitiveness in the aviation sector.
He added that the VAT cut is expected to encourage more flight operations, strengthen air connectivity and provide a boost to tourism. Increased connectivity, he said, would create multiplier effects across sectors such as hospitality, trade, transport and other allied services.
The cabinet also approved the release of Rs 9,000 as a single instalment under the state’s flagship poverty alleviation scheme, Orunodoi, on March 10. According to Sarma, the amount will be credited to 39.7 lakh beneficiaries, resulting in a financial outgo of Rs 3,600 crore in a single day.
Additionally, the cabinet cleared customised incentives for Bharat A to Z Pvt Ltd to establish an integrated shipyard and container shipping line at Dharapur in Guwahati, with a proposed investment of Rs 475 crore. The project is expected to generate around 900 direct jobs, along with substantial indirect employment.
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The state government has also approved incentives and facilitative support for Hotel Polo Towers Group to set up a 100-room five-star hotel in Silchar with an investment of Rs 103.92 crore. The project is projected to create approximately 200 direct jobs, besides generating indirect employment in transport, housekeeping, food supply chains and retail sectors.
