Tea Board working on welfare scheme for industry workers

Tea Board India on Wednesdaysaid it is devising a special scheme for workers of theindustry after the Centre proposed to provide Rs 1,000 crorein the budget for the welfare of labourers in tea estates inAssam and West Bengal.

The board said it will submit the scheme to the Unionministry commerce and industry for its implementation.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hadannounced that the government will provide Rs 1,000 crore forthe welfare of tea workers especially women and their childrenin the two states.

The board said the scheme will be centred aroundhealth, education and skill development.

Around 6.23 lakh women workers are involved in the teaindustry in Assam and West Bengal, it said in a statement,adding that the two states contribute around 81 per cent ofthe country's total production of the crop.

According to the board, the tea industry showedtremendous resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and thewomen workforce had made strenuous efforts to resumeproduction during the crisis.

The scheme will help increase the productivity of thewomen workers in the two states and improve their quality oflife, it added.