Assam: Congress guarantees daily wage of Rs 400 to tea garden workers, highlights BJP's unfulfilled promise

Congress has guaranteed a daily wage of Rs 400 for every tea garden worker in Assam as a part of their Shramik Nyay campaign. 

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted that in 2016, the BJP and the Prime Minister had promised a minimum wage of Rs. 351 per day for these workers. 

However, only in October 2023 did the Assam Government increase the daily wage to Rs. 250. 

The Congress party contrasts this with their Paanch Nyay Pachees Guarantee which assures daily wage of Rs 400 to tea garden workers, if voted to power.

Also Read: Assam: BJP leaders’ kin involved in tea garden scam, alleges Gaurav Gogoi

Earlier on April 11, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi raised serious allegations against individuals with close ties to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including relatives of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and central ministers. Gogoi asserts that these individuals are involved in purchasing bankrupt tea gardens in Assam, subsequently selling them overnight to establish different enterprises on the acquired lands.

Describing the situation as a "bigger scam" than the electoral bonds controversy, Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, expressed grave concerns regarding the future of tea garden workers in the state. He highlighted the plight of thousands of workers facing unemployment as a result of this purported trend.

Gogoi elaborated on the alleged scheme in an interview, stating that the sudden change in ownership of tea gardens has led to delays in workers receiving their wages and essential supplies. He asserted that this orchestrated effort aims to push out the workers from these estates, ultimately facilitating the sale of land for alternative industrial purposes.