The Assam cabinet has approved a 20% bonus for employees and workers of the Assam Tea Corporation ahead of Durga Puja.
The bonus will be applicable for thousands of workers spread across the 90 acres of tea estates in the state.
The announcement for the bonus was made by Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Chief Minister also shared that the cabinet had approved ₹260 crore for the establishment of the 10th Assam Battalion at Kachutoli.
This decision comes after the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) union confirmed in early September 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,” ACMS General Secretary Rupesh Gowala stated as per the Times of India.
Kishore Upadhyay, Chairman of the Assam Small Industries Development Corporation, highlighted how the auction prices for tea had grown from ₹184.72 per kilogram in 2023–24 to ₹251.18 in 2024–25. He credited the change to initiatives taken by CM Sarma to help the industry grow.
