Assam cabinet approves Rs 30 hike in tea workers wages ahead of elections

In a significant move ahead of the upcoming assembly elections , the Assam government on Thursday approved an increase of Rs 30 in the daily wages of tea garden workers . Following the hike, wages in the Brahmaputra valley will rise to Rs 280 per day , while workers in the Barak valley will earn Rs 258 .

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision at a press conference, stating that the cabinet had agreed to the interim wage increase with effect from April 1 . “The minimum daily wage of tea garden workers was last revised by Rs 18 in October 2023. With this new hike, we are responding to the requirements of the central Labour Codes ,” Sarma said.

The CM highlighted that a tripartite meeting earlier in the day involving the state government, tea garden labour unions , and estate owners paved the way for the agreement. He also indicated that the wages are likely to cross Rs 300 in the near future, with further revisions possible in the next six months.

Apart from the wage hike, the cabinet approved a 5% cut in VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) , bringing the price in Guwahati on par with Kolkata .

In another key announcement, Sarma said the state would release Rs 9,000 in a single instalment under the flagship poverty alleviation scheme ‘Orunodoi’ on March 10 . “This will benefit 39.7 lakh households , resulting in an outlay of Rs 3,600 crore in a single day,” he added.

The assembly elections in Assam, the country’s largest tea-producing state , are expected to take place in March-April 2026 , making these measures a timely intervention for the state’s labour and welfare sectors.