Guwahati, Jan 25: Marking 200 years of Assam’s tea industry, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday launched the Mukhya Mantrir Eti Koli Duti Paat Scheme at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district, announcing a one-time financial assistance of ₹5,000 each for over six lakh tea garden workers across the state.

Whatever Assam does, it does at scale!

Today, over 6 lakh tea garden workers received ₹5,000 each as a mark of gratitude for their hardwork, which has made tea synonymous with Assam.

As we celebrate 200 years of Assam Tea, nothing would have been better than #EtiKoliDutiPaat pic.twitter.com/6VEYGA4VyF

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 25, 2026

Under the scheme, the Assam government will disburse more than ₹300 crore to 6,03,927 permanent and casual workers spread across 836 tea gardens in 27 districts and 73 Assembly constituencies, making it one of the largest direct benefit initiatives for tea workers in the state.

Launching the scheme, the Chief Minister said it fulfilled a key election promise of the present government and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to the welfare of tea garden workers, who he described as the “backbone of Assam’s global tea identity.”

To strengthen welfare measures at the workplace, Dr Sarma also inaugurated mobile crèches and mobile toilet services, aimed at improving childcare, health, dignity and safety for tea garden workers, particularly women.

“Tea workers must be as celebrated as Assam tea”
Recalling the history of Assam’s tea industry, Dr Sarma said nearly 200 years have passed since the British discovered tea in Assam and brought workers from different parts of India to cultivate it.

“Across India and the world, people begin their day with a cup of Assam tea. But the hands that nurture these tea bushes often remain unseen,” he said, adding that pride in Assam tea must go hand in hand with respect for tea workers.

Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal association with tea, the Chief Minister recalled that Modi sold tea at his father’s stall at a railway station in Gujarat before going to school. He said the Prime Minister had repeatedly stressed the need for inclusive socio-economic development of tea communities, which the Assam government has prioritised.

Dr Sarma outlined a series of initiatives aimed at long-term empowerment of tea tribes and indigenous communities. These include 3% reservation for tea tribes and indigenous communities under the OBC category in Grade III and IV government jobs,
Land rights (pattas) for tea garden workers and indigenous families living in labour lines, with application forms to be distributed from early February, land titles to remain in beneficiaries’ names for at least 10 years, with sale restricted only to other tea garden workers, expansion of education infrastructure, including 120 model schools in tea garden areas, with 100 more schools to be opened in February.

“For the first time in 200 years, the land on which tea workers live will legally belong to them,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the land could also be used as collateral for children’s education.

Dr Sarma said the government has reserved 27 MBBS seats for tea tribe and indigenous students, which will be increased to 40 seats, along with 250 reserved seats in paramedical courses. More than 1.5 lakh students have already benefited from pre- and post-matric scholarships.

To commemorate the bicentenary of Assam tea, the government has organised programmes across all tea-growing constituencies—including Doomdooma, Tinsukia, Digboi, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, Biswanath Chariali, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Udalguri and Dhubri—where tea workers are being honoured with financial assistance.

Several ministers, MLAs, senior officials, district administrators attended the program.

Also Read: Pradip Baruah, an Exceptional Editor

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