Tinsukia: As Assam moves closer to the next Assembly elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced a major welfare initiative aimed at tea garden workers, a politically influential voter group in the state.
The Chief Minister launched the Eti Koli Duti Paat scheme at Samdang in the Doomdooma constituency, providing a one-time cash assistance of Rs 5,000 to over six lakh tea garden workers and employees across Assam.
With a total outlay of Rs 302 crore, the scheme targets workers from tea tribe and Adivasi communities, whose electoral significance is concentrated in Upper Assam districts such as Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Golaghat. Tea garden belts have historically played a decisive role in Assembly outcomes, often determining narrow victory margins.
Speaking at the launch, Sarma highlighted the contributions of tea workers to Assam’s 200-year-old tea industry, describing them as central to the sector’s global identity.
The event was attended by Tea Tribes Welfare Minister Rupesh Gowala, and MLAs Suren Phukan, Bolin Chetia, Bhaskar Sharma, and Sanjoy Kishan, alongside senior officials from the labour and finance departments.
Implementation of the scheme began within hours. Digboi MLA Suren Phukan, present at the Chief Minister’s programme, later distributed Rs 5,000 cheques to 2,619 tea workers at Pawoi Tea Garden, signalling an expedited rollout at the constituency level.
Earlier in the day, Sarma also inaugurated the Adarani Toran, an Rs 84-lakh ceremonial welcome gate on the southern bank of the Doomdooma River near the town’s main entry point. The structure was built by the Doomdooma Municipal Board using funds from the 15th Finance Commission and was attended by Cabinet Minister Rupesh Gowala, Municipal Board chairman Kanta Bhattacharjee, and Sadiya MLA Bolin Chetia.
The twin engagements—combining high-visibility welfare announcements with infrastructure inaugurations—reflect the ruling BJP’s intensified outreach to key voter blocs ahead of the Assembly elections, with tea garden communities expected to remain central to the party’s strategy in Upper Assam.