BJP Government ‘fooling’ Assam tea workers? Kerala tea workers get more daily wage than those in Assam

The BJP-led Government in Assam seems to be ‘fooling’ the tea workers in the State.

The BJP-led Government in Assam recently had hiked the basic daily wage of the tea workers in the State by Rs 50.

This hike of Rs 50 raised the daily wage of the tea workers in Assam up to Rs 217 from Rs 167.

But, even after the hike, the wage of the tea workers in Assam is way less than that of their counterparts in Kerala.

In Kerala, the basic daily wage of tea workers is Rs 380.

The basic daily wage of Rs 380 coupled with other statutory benefits, results in a total daily wage of Rs 600.

The hike of meagre Rs 50 in the basic daily wage of tea workers in Assam is being seen by many as a ‘lollypop’ to the tea community in the State ahead of the Assembly elections.

The BJP in Assam seems to have handed the tea workers’ community in the State with a wage hike ‘lollypop’ in its bid to woo them to vote for the saffron party.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while addressing an election campaign rally at Sivasagar in Assam recently promised to raise the basic daily wage of the tea workers in the State up to Rs 365, if the Congress is voted back to power.

Meanwhile, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora while questioning the difference in basic wages of tea workers in Assam and Kerala said the party “will fix the daily wage of Assam tea workers at Rs 365 within 30 days of coming to power”.

Promises measure your intentions & @BJP4Assam has none for welfare of tea workers. Why should wages of tea workers in Assam be less than those in Kerala? @INCAssam will fix diff. Rs 365 daily wage within 30 days of coming to power.#CongressGuaranteespic.twitter.com/4cW6bAFvee

— Ripun Bora (@ripunbora) February 20, 2021

The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) has been demanding hike in minimum wages of the tea garden workers up to Rs 351.

Also read: Clause 6 implementation: Assamese people betrayed? BJP Government in Assam waiting for CAA implementation?

Notably, Assam is the largest tea producing State in India, followed by other states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Bihar and Odisha..

Despite being the largest tea producing State, daily wage of Assam tea workers is way less compared to other tea producing States, especially Kerala.