Guwahati: A tea estate in Assam’s district is planning a series of diversification projects, including a super-speciality hospital, eco-tourism facilities, and value-added agriculture units, aimed at sustaining the livelihoods of nearly 300 workers while creating new employment opportunities for local youth.
The initiative comes after the Assam government introduced a policy allowing tea estates to utilise up to five per cent of non-productive tea land for alternative, revenue-generating projects.
Welcoming the policy, the management of Jalannagar South Tea Estate in Dibrugarh said the move offers a critical lifeline to gardens struggling with declining tea revenues and land that has become unsuitable for cultivation due to persistent flooding and waterlogging.
Under the diversification plan, the estate has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as part of the Advantage Assam 2.0 programme to attract new investments into the state.
The proposed projects are expected to bring investments of around Rs 250 crore and generate employment for about 600–800 people.
As the first step, the estate has applied for permission to establish a modern medical complex on a portion of non-productive land. The proposed facility will include a 100-bedded multi-speciality hospital, an eye care institute, a dental clinic, and a wellness centre.
The medical complex is expected to be developed in collaboration with healthcare partners, including Manavata Hospital, a unit of MDRC Healthcare Pvt Ltd; Renu Eye Institute, operated by Maeyes Private Limited; and The Perfect Smile Dental Clinic and Implant Centre, along with a dental institute.
According to the management, the proposal has already received clearance at the district level and has been forwarded to the state government for final approval.
Besides healthcare infrastructure, the broader diversification plan also includes a recreational and sports complex, luxury eco-tourism facilities, educational institutions, and value-added agriculture and distillation units for high-end essential oils.
Estate authorities said these initiatives are necessary as tea revenues from the garden have dropped significantly in recent years. At present, the estate generates only about Rs 40–50 lakh annually from tea, while accumulated losses have reached several tens of crores.
Large parts of the estate’s land have become unfit for tea cultivation due to repeated flooding and the absence of effective drainage solutions.
Rapid urbanisation and increasing land requirements from government agencies in surrounding areas have also reduced the viability of continuing tea operations on some sections of the estate.
The management said the diversification effort is aimed not only at stabilising the estate financially but also at ensuring that existing workers do not lose their livelihoods.
A separate MoU has been signed with the workers of Jalannagar South Tea Estate, stating that there will be no retrenchment of permanent workers.
The agreement also assures priority and merit-based employment opportunities for eligible members of the tea garden community in the new projects.
Officials said the estate will soon begin screening and shortlisting candidates from the workers’ community for potential employment in the upcoming facilities.
The projects are expected to contribute to local economic growth in Dibrugarh district by bringing new investments, generating employment for educated youth, and enabling the estate to resume meaningful contributions to the state’s economy.