Guwahati, February 17 Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog told the Assembly on Tuesday that the government was in talks with tea associations to raise the minimum daily wage of garden workers from this year.
While presenting the interim budget for 2026-27, Neog said the government aims to make orthodox tea account for half of Assam's total tea exports.
"The prosperity of our tea industry must directly benefit our tea garden workers. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that we are finalizing discussions with tea associations to announce enhanced wages for our garden workers within this year," she added.
The Assam Assembly elections are likely to take place in March-April.
The minimum daily wage of tea garden workers was last increased by Rs 18 in October 2023, with rates in the Brahmaputra valley at Rs 250 and in the Barak valley at Rs 228.
"I am happy to state that the export of orthodox tea has increased by 40 million kg in FY 2025-26. Recognizing this achievement, we aim to make orthodox tea half of our total exports," she added.
"We are also increasing the production subsidy from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg, and we are committed to further increase it to capture global markets opened by India's new Free Trade Agreements with the UK, EU, and USA," she said.
This industrial revival also focused on the traditional pillars of our economy. Under the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), Rs 392 crore has been disbursed to 1,914 tea gardens to promote orthodox tea production, Neog said.
She said that for generations, tea garden workers lived as 'informal inhabitants' on the land they cultivated.
"Sir, we have changed history. Through the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 2025, we intend to grant permanent land rights to over 3.5 lakh families across more than 800 tea estates of Assam," Neog said.
The Assam government is expecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to officially start the distribution of tea garden land patta in March, she added.
"This will further enable our tea garden workers to be considered for getting housing benefits under PMAY-G, improving their living conditions," she said.
Meanwhile, the Assam government is extending a one-time assistance of Rs 5,000 to over six lakh tea garden workers and employees, with a total outlay of Rs 342 crore, to commemorate 200 years of 'Assam Tea', the Finance Minister said.
"Our government has supported 1.16 lakh pregnant women in tea garden areas with Rs 15,000 each under the Tea Garden Wage Compensation Scheme, disbursing approximately Rs 120 crore. We have constructed 118 model high schools at a cost of Rs 210 crore in garden areas and are building 100 more," she added.
The state government is also building 500 'Mahaprabhu Jagannath Community Hall-cum-Skill Centres' to serve as the heart of cultural and vocational activities in the tea gardens, Neog said.
