In the presence of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, held a pivotal dialogue with a diverse array of stakeholders from Assam’s tea industry, including representatives from producer associations, labour unions, and consumer associations. During this discussion, stakeholders presented the numerous challenges currently plaguing the tea industry.
In his address, Dr. Sarma underscored that the tea industry is not merely an economic sector, but a lifeblood of Assam, directly involving approximately 40 lakh individuals. He emphasized the substantial influence of the industry’s prosperity on the state’s economy. The Chief Minister acknowledged the considerable challenges confronting Assam’s tea industry and underscored the importance of a collaborative, unified approach to resolve these issues. He highlighted the central government’s commitment through the Prime Minister’s Tea Workers Scheme, which has earmarked a substantial Rs. 1,000 crores for the welfare of tea workers. Of this, approximately Rs. 400 crores have been allocated to Assam, to be used for improving the health and education of the state’s tea workforce. Dr. Sarma expressed his appreciation to the Central Minister for facilitating this support. He also thanked Minister Goyal for adopting a positive approach towards addressing the issues raised by the stakeholders in the tea industry.
This interactive session was attended by Minister of Industries & Commerce etc. Bimal Borah, Minister for Welfare of Tea Tribes etc. Sanjoy Kishan, Joint Secretary of the Department of Commerce Kesang Y Sherpa, GOI, Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, Deputy Chairman of Tea Board India Saurav Pahari, and other dignitaries.
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