Guwahati: In a first, Assam govt has introduced a 3% reservation for tea tribes and the adivasi community in state govt jobs , besides the OBC and SC quotas, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the assembly on Thursday. He said this year’s recruitment will include the 3% reservation, thereby empowering the tea tribes and adivasis . Sarma told the house that the govt has opened 100 high schools in tea garden areas and 100 more would be opened by January next year.
He said 10 degree colleges would also be set up there, primarily for students belonging to the tea tribes and adivasis. The CM also informed the house about the allocation of Rs 700 crore by the Centre for the development of hospitals and schools in tea garden areas of the state. This apart, he said Assam govt has also allocated Rs 900 crore for the construction of roads there.
The CM informed the house that eight lakh tea garden workers will be provided financial assistance from next year to bear the education expenses of their children. LoP and senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia and independent MLA Akhil Gogoi questioned the CM on the wage hike of tea workers promised by the party. “Increasing the daily wage to Rs 351 was a promise in BJP’s vision document,” Saikia said.
Responding to this, the CM claimed that BJP has done a lot for the tea garden workers. “Congress does not have the moral authority to question us about the welfare of the tea tribes,” he said. We also published the following articles recently Assam govt pumps in money to boost tea tourism The Assam government is transforming tea estates into tourist destinations through the Promotion and Development of Tea Tourism Infrastructure in Assam scheme.
Each selected estate receives up to Rs 2 crore for infrastructure improvements. This initiative aims to leverage Assam's tea heritage and natural beauty to attract tourists and generate new revenue streams for tea garden workers. Is your tea adulterated? How to check the purity of tea leaves? Officials in Cuttack, Odisha discovered a massive production of adulterated tea powder during a joint eviction drive, raising concerns about tea purity.
Large quantities of counterfeit tea were confiscated. To ensure consumers' safety, experts advise examining tea for uniformity, detecting chemical smells, and performing simple home tests like sediment and solubility checks. Two tigers found 'poisoned' on Nilgiris tea estate In the Nilgiris, a tigress and a sub-adult tiger were discovered dead, likely after consuming poisoned boar meat.
Officials found a half-eaten boar carcass nearby and are awaiting forensic results to confirm the cause of death. An investigation under the Wildlife Protection Act has been started..
