Assam Announces 20% Festive Bonus for Tea Garden Workers
Around 10 lakh workers across more than 800 tea gardens are set to benefit ahead of Durga Puja.
- Assam announces a 20% festive bonus for eligible tea garden workers.
- Around 10 lakh workers across more than 800 tea estates are expected to benefit.
- State cabinet approved the bonus for eligible ATCL workers and employees.
- October 17 declared an additional Durga Puja holiday in Assam.
GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 13th Oct: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a special 20 per cent festive bonus for eligible tea garden workers ahead of Durga Puja, a move expected to benefit around 10 lakh workers across more than 800 tea estates in the state.
Announcing the initiative on Navratri, Sarma said the bonus was intended to help tea community families celebrate Durga Puja with greater joy and enthusiasm. The festive payout is particularly significant for plantation households, where the annual bonus helps meet additional expenses during the holiday season.
The state cabinet had approved the 20 per cent bonus last month for eligible workers and employees of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL). The government also declared October 17, 2026, an additional Durga Puja holiday, over and above the four Puja holidays already notified.
Assam is one of India’s leading tea-producing states, accounting for nearly 55 per cent of the country’s total tea production. The industry supports livelihoods across the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys and remains a major pillar of the state’s rural economy.
Tea garden workers receive daily wages of approximately ₹280 in the Brahmaputra Valley and ₹258 in the Barak Valley, alongside subsidised rations and other basic benefits provided by estate management. The bonus is expected to provide additional financial support to eligible workers during the festive period.
