Assam launches ‘Eti Koli, Duti Paat’; Rs 5,000 aid, 100 schools for tea workers

Doomdooma, Jan 25: Reiterating that education remains the cornerstone of empowerment, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday, announced a major expansion of schooling infrastructure in tea garden areas, alongside new welfare and job reservation measures aimed at improving social mobility among tea garden families.

Formally launching the “Eti Koli, Duti Paat” welfare scheme at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district, Sarma said that under the scheme, Rs 5,000 will be provided to every tea garden worker, whether permanent or casual.

According to the government, 6,03,927 tea workers across Assam will benefit from the scheme.

“In the Assam government budget, on the occasion of 200 years of the tea industry, we introduced a scheme to provide Rs 5,000 to every tea garden worker. We are starting it from Doomdooma, and within the next 10 days, every eligible worker will receive the amount,” Sarma said.

Sarma also declared that the state government would construct 100 new high schools in tea garden regions, in addition to the 120 high schools already set up earlier.

“These steps are not symbolic. They are meant to ensure that the next generation of tea workers’ children has access to quality education close to home and the confidence to aim for the highest positions,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister also reiterated a significant expansion of job reservations for children of tea garden workers.

He said 3% of Grade I and Grade II government jobs would now be reserved for them, extending the existing reservation already in place for Grade III and Grade IV posts.

“After Grade III and Grade IV appointments, we will now make provisions so that children of tea workers can also compete for and secure Grade I and Grade II posts. From now on, children of tea garden workers can even become magistrates,” Sarma said.

He added that the measures were aimed at ensuring long-term social mobility and greater representation of tea garden families in higher levels of administration, breaking historical barriers faced by the community.

While the announcements were specific to Assam, the Chief Minister said the initiatives could serve as a model for welfare and education interventions in tea-growing regions across the Northeast, where tea garden workers continue to face similar challenges related to access, opportunity and representation.

The “Eti Koli, Duti Paat” scheme and the education and reservation measures form part of Assam’s broader policy push to mark 200 years of the tea industry and strengthen support systems for one of the state’s largest and most economically significant communities.