Centre Proposes to Provide 1000 Crore Rupees for Welfare of Tea Workers of Assam, WB for Next Fiscal

The Centre in its Union Budget for the next fiscal have proposed to provide one thousand crore rupees for the welfare of tea workers of Assam and West Bengal. The amount will be spent especially for the welfare of women and children associated with the tea gardens in these states. News reports that people of Assam which has over 35 per cent of its population directly associated with the tea gardens has welcomed the centre's outreach.

The lives of over 12 lakh tea workers in tea estates of Assam and West Bengal is set to improve with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement of a special package of one thousand crore rupees. Indian Tea Association has said that the amount will be spent to ensure more comprehensive coverage on welfare schemes related to housing, education, sanitation and medical facilities among others. In



addition to the special package the Budget also has outlays for additional funding for development of social and physical infrastructure in the States of Assam and West Bengal. 

The allocation of 3 thousand 400 crore rupees for road infrastructure development in Assam and 25 thousand crore rupees in West Bengal will speed up development of roads and infrastructure. This will resolve the bottleneck in terms of transportation from the tea states which are generally located in remote parts of the states. Additionally the Pradhan Mantri Atma Nirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana, which will operate in addition to the existing National Health Mission with an allocation of 64 thousand 180 crore rupees will be used to develop capacities of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare systems as well as upscale the existing facilities in these States.