Assam to give financial assistance to pregnant tea garden

Assam government would give financial assistance to pregnant tea garden workers, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said today.

The state government would set up one hundred high schools in tea garden areas and would also provide smart mobile phones to the 'line sardars' in the tea garden areas, Sonowal said.

"The state government will extend financial assistance of Rs 12,000 each to around 47,000 pregnant tea garden workers per year for nutritional purpose during the period of their pregnancy," the chief minister said while reviewing the implementation of programmes for the welfare of tea tribes.

It was also decided in the meeting to provide the financial assistance in phase manner upto two deliveries through direct benefit transfer to the beneficiaries.

The chief minister also emphasised on generating awareness amongst the tea garden workers about health and other government programmes.

Sonowal stressed on wider publicity of the Mobile Medical Units (MMU) which are being operationalised in the tea gardens and presently 80 MMUs are put into service to cover 320 tea gardens in the state.

The chief minister also asked the Education department to expeditiously transfer Rs six hundred each to girl students aged 12 to 20 years for procurement of sanitary napkins as announced in the state budget.

Stating that lack of proper educational infrastructure at the tea gardens affects academic interests of the tea tribes' students, Sonowal asked the Secondary Education department to take up speedy measures for setting up one hundred high schools in the tea gardens.

He also directed the department to develop the new schools as model institution and engage modern construction technology for early completion of construction work.

The chief minister directed the tea tribes' welfare department to provide the line sardars with smart phones so that it could be utilised as a multi-purpose device.

"The smart phone will enable the line sardars to establish contact with concerned authorities to address any emergency situation and they should also be apprised about different welfare schemes of the government as well," he said.

The chief minister asked the department to introduce an app with information in Assamese.

He also directed the officials to take steps for setting up a new department to look after plantation and commercial issues of tea, rubber and other such products to conduct newer research and innovation and successfully project tea and other products in the global market.