Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced three per cent reservation for tea and tribal communities in government jobs, and said a bill will also be introduced in the Assembly in November to give workers ownership of land in tea gardens. He said the government will provide three per cent reservation for tea garden youth in class I and II jobs of the state government, including Assam Civil Service (ACS) and Assam Police Service (APS).
He said the government will provide three per cent reservation for tea garden youth in class I and II jobs of the state government, including Assam Civil Service (ACS) and Assam Police Service (APS). This reservation will be implemented this year itself and appointment letters will be handed over to the successful candidates at a special function to increase public awareness about this initiative.
Similarly, the Chief Minister informed that the government has already taken steps to provide three per cent reservation for tea and tribal communities under OBC quota in Grade III and IV government jobs. The move will pave the way for government jobs for around 1,000 tea community youth. The Chief Minister stressed that the lives of workers cannot be made safe without their rights.
“Therefore, a bill will be introduced in the Assam Assembly in November to provide ownership of land to workers in tea gardens,” he said. Referring to the decision to reserve three MBBS seats in medical colleges for students from the tea community, Sarma said it was a historic step that has brought about a revolutionary change in the community. He announced that from now on the number of reserved seats in medical colleges will be increased from three to four.
Sarma said this while participating in the 19th Biennial General Conference of Assam Tea Tribe Students Association (ATTSA) and Central Biennial General Conference of Assam Tea Tribe Women’s Association held at Mariani College playground in Jorhat district on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister paid rich tributes to Simon Singh Horo and Santosh Topno, founders of ATTSA. He said that this association was established 77 years ago with the noble objectives of establishing the rights of tea garden workers, liberating them from the exploitation of tea garden owners and promoting education in the community.
Sarma said that even after years of hard work in the plantations, people of the tea community faced unimaginable oppression and exploitation at the hands of British planters, and ATTSA has continuously fought for their rights, dignity and self-respect since its inception.
He said that ATTSA’s decades of consistent efforts have led to visible improvements in the lives of tea workers. He said, “The struggles led by the association have ended exploitation by owners and created awareness among workers about their rights. ATTSA’s social movement has enabled the youth of the tea community to transcend the confines of the tea gardens and connect with the wider world.”
Highlighting the growing awareness about education and self-reliance among the youth of the tea community, Sarma appreciated the significant contribution of ATTSA in motivating them for higher education and government jobs. He further pointed out that the tea community has made invaluable contribution to the social, cultural and economic life of Assam and ATTSA has played an important role in solving labor problems and promoting environment of education, culture and sports among the youth of tea gardens. Has played a role.
The Chief Minister recalled that for more than 200 years, members of the tea community have made extraordinary contributions to the economy, social life and culture of Assam. Over time, the community has progressed educationally and culturally and has gained a strong position in the broader Assamese society.
The Chief Minister said, “The present state government has continuously acknowledged and honored the remarkable contribution of the tea community to the social fabric of Assam since it assumed power. I can say with full satisfaction that in the last four and a half years, the initiatives taken by our government for the welfare and advancement of the tea community have had a positive impact on their lives. The resolve we had taken to contribute to their long-term socio-economic journey has now been realised.”
Speaking about the rich cultural heritage of the community, he said that Dr. Bhupen Hazarika had once drawn global attention towards tea culture through Jhumur songs and dances. Maintaining that legacy, the present state government organized ‘Jhumur Binandini’ in Guwahati on February 24 this year in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ambassadors of various countries, where 8,000 artists displayed their art.
“This grand event showcased the grandeur of the tea culture to the world and the government is planning to organize a similar Jhumuir dance in New Delhi next year,” the Chief Minister said. On the issue of education, the Chief Minister said that earlier the idea of setting up higher educational institutions for the tea community was rarely thought of.
He said, “However, for the first time, the present government has established 115 high schools in the tea garden areas and by January next year, 100 more schools will be inaugurated for the benefit of the tea garden community. Once these schools become operational in the tea gardens, the dreams of the tea garden students will come true.”
The Chief Minister also talked about other government initiatives like paving roads in tea gardens, building houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and providing safe drinking water to workers.
He said, “If we cannot bring 40 lakh people of the tea community into the mainstream of the society, then Assam as a whole will never be able to progress. Therefore, we are continuously working towards this goal.” He reiterated that the present government has been able to do work for the upliftment of the tea community in a way that no previous government has been able to do. He further said that since the tea community has presented Assam to the world through its tea, it is the collective responsibility of all to recognize their contribution. It is a duty.
Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Tea Tribes and Tribal Welfare Minister Rupesh Gowala, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Roopjyoti Kurmi and Sanjay Kishan, former Union Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, former MP and ASTC President Pallav Lochan Das, ATTSA President Dheeraj Gowala, General Secretary Jagdish Badaik, Padma Shri award winning artist Dulal Manki and many other dignitaries were present at the event.
