Assam announces 20 per cent Durga Puja bonus for ATCL tea workers, extra holiday for government staff
Assam has announced a 20 per cent Durga Puja bonus for ATCL tea workers and an extra holiday for state employees. The cabinet also raised October support for Orunodoi beneficiaries and urged other tea gardens to match the bonus.
- Sep 24, 2026,
- Updated Sep 24, 2026, 3:41 PM IST
- Cabinet aligned state-run tea estates with bonuses declared in most gardens
- Sarma said 548 of Assam's 807 gardens had already matched the rate
- He urged the remaining garden managements to offer workers equal festive support
The Assam government has announced a 20 per cent Durga Puja bonus for workers employed in tea gardens run by the state-owned Assam Tea Corporation Ltd (ATCL).
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on September 24, bringing ATCL gardens in line with the bonus already announced by a majority of tea garden managements across the state.
“Out of 807 tea gardens in the state, 548 have already announced 20 per cent bonus. We have now done it for the ATCL gardens,” Sarma said at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.
The chief minister also urged managements of the remaining tea gardens to provide workers with a 20 per cent bonus for the festival.
The cabinet further approved an additional holiday for state government employees during Durga Puja. October 17 will be declared an extra holiday, extending the Puja break from October 17 to October 20.
Sarma said the additional day was approved as the usual three-day Puja holiday would have been shorter this year because one of the festival days falls on a Sunday.
The government also approved a special Durga Puja payment for beneficiaries of the Orunodoi scheme. Beneficiaries will receive Rs 1,500 for October, up from the regular monthly assistance of Rs 1,250.
Sarma said the government plans to announce a similar special allocation for Orunodoi beneficiaries during Rongali Bihu in April.
