Lok Sabha Question No. 197 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Tea Garden Workers in Assam
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Behanan Benny

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 197 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2021

## TEA GARDEN WORKERS IN ASSAM

## 197.  SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)whether  the  Government  maintains  data  on  the  number  of  teagarden workers in the North East region;
- (b)if so, the details thereof, State, district and gender-wise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)whether  the  Government  has  conducted  an  assessment  of  the economic impact of COVID-19 on tea-garden workers in Assam, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d)whether the Government has or intends to provide economic relief to tea-garden workers in light of COVID-19, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e)whether the Government has received any proposals from the State Governments  in  the  North-East  to  provide  suport  to  tea-garden workers for the same;
- (f)if  so,  the  details  thereof,  including  the  Government's  response thereto?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) & (b): As  per  the  Baseline  Survey  conducted  by  the  Tea  Board during  2018,  the  details  of  tea  garden  workers  State,  District  and Gender wise in North Eastern Region is at Annexure.

(c) & (d): Tea  Board  collects  the  tea  statistics  (through  online  portal) from  all  the  tea  processing  units  and  the  data  were  compiled  for  the release of various Tea Statistics. Further, the presence of the Tea Board official at the grassroots levels acts as liasioning officer between the tea stakeholder, State Government and the Central Government. No separate studies  have  been  made  in  this  regard  but  the  data  collected  were analyzed for preparation of various reports and preparation of action plan. Efforts  were  made  for  the  normal  functioning  of  the  tea  gardens,  tea processing units, auction centres, logistics etc., in almost all the major tea growing regions following Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines and the Standard Operating Procedure prepared in this regard.

(e) & (f): No  such  proposal  from  the  State  Government  in  the  North East, to provide support to tea-garden workers is pending in the Ministry.

Tea  Board  has  extended  some  financial  assistance  to  the workers of tea gardens through its Human Resource Development (HRD) component under the 'Tea Development & Promotion Scheme' implemented  during  the  Mid  Term  Framework  (MTF)  Period  (2017-2020) which was extended till 31.03.2021 for the tea plantation workers of the tea  growing  states  in  the  country.  This  scheme  aims  at  achieving improvements  in  the  life  and  living  conditions  of  the  Tea  Plantation workers and their wards/dependents under three broad categories viz:

Improving  the  health  and  hygiene  of  workers:  Capital  grants for  hospitals  (not  tea  garden  hospital)/Medical  clinics  adjacent  to  tea garden  areas  towards  extension  of  treatment  facilities  and  also  for and reservation  of  Beds,  financial  assistance  for  disabled  persons/cancer/

purchase of medical equipment, accessories and ambulance heart patients/kidney transplantation in specialty hospitals.

Education of wards of workers: Educational stipend for wards of tea plantation workers, Special scheme of Nehru Award for the wards of tea plantation workers, Scheme for book and school uniform grant to needy and deserving wards of tea garden workers especially in the closed tea  gardens  or  those  affected  by  severe  natural  calamities,  Financial assistance to Bharat Scouts & Guides in tea growing States.

Imparting  training  to  improve  skills  for  workers  and  their dependents: Vocational training for wards of tea plantation workers and dependents.

*                                         *********

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 197 FOR 29.11.2021 BY SHRI BENNY BEHANAN REGARDING TEA GARDEN

## WORKERS IN ASSAM.

| State             |                     | Permanent   | Permanent   | Permanent   | Temporary   | Temporary   | Temporary   | Total   | Total   | Total   |
|-------------------|---------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------|---------|---------|
| State             | District            | Male        | Female      | Total       | Male        | Female      | Total       | Male    | Female  | Total   |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | CHANGLANG           | 115         | 114         | 229         | 540         | 596         | 1136        | 655     | 710     | 1365    |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | EAST SIANG          | 95          | 122         | 217         | 121         | 302         | 423         | 216     | 424     | 640     |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | LONGDING            | 22          | 24          | 46          | 40          | 60          | 100         | 62      | 84      | 146     |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | LOWER DIPANG VALLEY | 136         | 150         | 286         | 32          | 153         | 185         | 168     | 303     | 471     |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | Lower Subansiri     | 7           | 28          | 35          | 15          | 5           | 20          | 22      | 33      | 55      |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | NAMSAI              | 0           | 0           | 0           | 154         | 306         | 460         | 154     | 306     | 460     |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | PAPUM PARE          | 10          | 11          | 21          | 10          | 19          | 29          | 20      | 30      | 50      |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | TIRAP               | 39          | 39          | 78          | 104         | 86          | 190         | 143     | 125     | 268     |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | UPPER SIANG         | 0           | 0           | 0           | 20          | 30          | 50          | 20      | 30      | 50      |
| Arunahcal Pradesh | WEST SIANG          | 30          | 22          | 52          | 105         | 25          | 130         | 135     | 47      | 182     |
| Assam             | BAKSA               | 1371        | 2295        | 3666        | 892         | 1245        | 2137        | 2263    | 3540    | 5803    |
|                   | BISWANATH           | 7269        | 8743        | 16012       | 5408        | 10822       | 16230       | 12677   | 19565   | 32242   |
|                   | BONGAIGAON          | 159         | 151         | 310         | 170         | 480         | 650         | 329     | 631     | 960     |
|                   | CACHAR              | 12476       | 12678       | 25154       | 7389        | 10333       | 17722       | 19865   | 23011   | 42876   |
|                   | CHARAIDEO           | 12290       | 12052       | 24342       | 11144       | 17137       | 28281       | 23434   | 29189   | 52623   |
|                   | DARRANG             | 740         | 864         | 1604        | 541         | 1139        | 1680        | 1281    | 2003    | 3284    |
|                   | DHUBRI              | 639         | 494         | 1133        | 930         | 1466        | 2396        | 1569    | 1960    | 3529    |
|                   | DIBRUGARH           | 31664       | 32220       | 63884       | 20693       | 38912       | 59605       | 52357   | 71132   | 123489  |
|                   | DIMA HASAO          | 73          | 73          | 146         | 86          | 110         | 196         | 159     | 183     | 342     |
|                   | GOALPARA            | 182         | 191         | 373         | 88          | 306         | 394         | 270     | 497     | 767     |
|                   | GOLAGHAT            | 15691       | 17632       | 33323       | 8728        | 15206       | 23934       | 24419   | 32838   | 57257   |
|                   | HAILAKANDI          | 3662        | 3251        | 6913        | 2616        | 3083        | 5699        | 6278    | 6334    | 12612   |
|                   | JORHAT              | 18236       | 19936       | 38172       | 7797        | 12991       | 20788       | 26033   | 32927   | 58960   |
|                   | KAMRUP              | 175         | 184         | 359         | 379         | 533         | 912         | 554     | 717     | 1271    |
|                   | KARBI ANGLONG       | 529         | 683         | 1212        | 536         | 1060        | 1596        | 1065    | 1743    | 2808    |
|                   | KARIMGANJ           | 4534        | 4265        | 8799        | 1802        | 2181        | 3983        | 6336    | 6446    | 12782   |
|                   | KOKRAJHAR           | 1081        | 1270        | 2351        | 1714        | 2814        | 4528        | 2795    | 4084    | 6879    |
|                   | LAKHIMPUR           | 4041        | 4067        | 8108        | 3221        | 4755        | 7976        | 7262    | 8822    | 16084   |
|                   | MORIGAON            | 325         | 326         | 651         | 150         | 350         | 500         | 475     | 676     | 1151    |
|                   | NAGAON              | 6288        | 6529        | 12817       | 2517        | 5679        | 8196        | 8805    | 12208   | 21013   |
|                   | NORTH               | 180         | 196         | 376         | 186         | 220         | 406         | 366     | 416     | 782     |
|                   | LAKHIMPUR SIVASAGAR | 7655        | 7684        | 15339       | 5199        | 8547        | 13746       | 12854   | 16231   | 29085   |
|                   | SIVSAGAR            | 1965        | 2335        | 4300        | 1400        | 2435        | 3835        | 3365    | 4770    | 8135    |
|                   | SONITPUR            | 18338       | 19790       | 38128       | 13398       | 23219       | 36617       | 31736   | 43009   | 74745   |
|                   | TINSUKIA            | 30554       | 34406       | 64960       | 22753       | 35070       | 57823       | 53307   | 69476   | 122783  |
|                   | UDALGURI            | 8756        | 10216       | 18972       | 7810        | 14603       | 22413       | 16566   | 24819   | 41385   |
| Maghalaya         | Ri-bhoi             | 27          | 21          | 48          | 33          | 23          | 56          | 60      | 44      | 104     |
| Mizoram           | CHAMPHAI            | 0           | 0           | 0           | 15          | 25          | 40          | 15      | 25      | 40      |
| Nagaland          | Mokokchung          | 0           | 0           | 0           | 30          | 70          | 100         | 30      | 70      | 100     |
| Sikkim            | SOUTH SIKKIM        | 176         | 226         | 402         | 46          | 118         | 164         | 222     | 344     | 566     |

| Tripura   | DHALAI        |   429 |   512 |   941 |   205 |   327 |   532 |   634 |   839 |   1473 |
|-----------|---------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------|
| Tripura   | KHOWAI        |     0 |     0 |     0 |     0 |     0 |     0 |     0 |     0 |      0 |
| Tripura   | NORTH TRIPURA |  1031 |  1123 |  2154 |   265 |   248 |   513 |  1296 |  1371 |   2667 |
| Tripura   | SIPAHIJALA    |   145 |   242 |   387 |    69 |    59 |   128 |   214 |   301 |    515 |
| Tripura   | SOUTH TRIPURA |    29 |    71 |   100 |    54 |   138 |   192 |    83 |   209 |    292 |
| Tripura   | UNAKOTI       |   534 |   760 |  1294 |   678 |  1054 |  1732 |  1212 |  1814 |   3026 |
| Tripura   | WEST TRIPURA  |   853 |  1336 |  2189 |   373 |   715 |  1088 |  1226 |  2051 |   3277 |

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