PM Visits Tea Garden in Poll-Bound Assam, Interacts With Women Workers
Modi is on a day-long visit to the state to address two campaign rallies for BJP candidates
Guwahati: Tea garden workers in Assam who play a crucial role in Assam assembly polls came to lime-light suddenly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting a tea garden in Dibrugarh ahead of two public rallies in the poll-bound state.
The tea garden workers influence about 35 Assembly seats in Upper Assam. “Tea is the soul of Assam! The tea from here has reached across the world. This morning in Dibrugarh, I visited a tea garden and interacted with the women working here. It was a very memorable experience,” PM Modi said in his social media post soon after his vist on Wednesday.
He added, “We are very proud of the efforts of every tea garden family. Their hard work and perseverance have enhanced Assam’s pride. Here are some more glimpses from a tea garden in Dibrugarh.” Mr Modi also shared a selfie with women working in the tea garden.
Though, Prime Minister visited garden workers seeking their blessing at the beginning of his election campaign for the party in the state on Wednesday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has already brought the garden workers in focus by announcing two major incentives for the workers.
At present, workers get Rs 250 per day, and from April 1, that will rise to Rs 280. So just before Assam votes on April 9, tea garden workers' daily wage will go up by thirty rupees.
The BJP government has also made tea-garden workers owners of the land their ancestors have lived on for decades. Under Mission Basundhara, the state is issuing land leases to tea-garden families.
The official data indicated that about 3.5 lakh families in 760 gardens will get rights to the land they occupy. In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally distributed leases to beneficiaries.
The Assam tea garden workers are also in limelight this time as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is also contesting the elections in the state for the first time and fielded 18 candidates. The JMM is carrying out aggressive campaigns for the party candidates in Upper Assam districts.
