Assam becomes the first state to offer financial assistance for pregnant tea workers

Guwahati, October 2, 2018:

The government of Assam has launched the first ever wage compensation scheme for the pregnant women in tea gardens of the state at Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal handed over a cheque of Rs 2,000 to five female tea workers in presence of Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Pijush Hazarika, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Minister of State for Tea Tribes Welfare Department Pallab Lochan Das, MLAs Sanjay Kishan, Teros Gowala, Rituparna Baruah, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Sameer Sinha.

Under the scheme, an amount of Rs 12,000 will be given to the pregnant woman to look after the baby and herself. The payment will be made in four instalments with the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to be made as soon as the woman conceives the baby, second instalment of Rs 4,000 to be paid on the sixth and Rs 3,000 to be paid on the ninth month of the pregnancy and the last instalment of Rs 3,000 to be paid just after the childbirth.

More than Rs 55 crore has been allotted in the State Health Budget for the scheme to benefit nearly 48,000 pregnant women working temporary, permanent or non-workers living within the tea garden areas.

Speaking to InsideNe, General Secretary of Tea Association of India, Dipanjol Deka said that the scheme will provide relief to the women working in the tea gardens as they had to work till the last month of their pregnancy fearing loss of their wages. Already the other schemes like the Mamoni, Majoni and other schemes are available to the workers, he added.