Tripura Congress demands hike of Tea workers’ wage upto Rs 250, criticizes State Govt

The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has strongly criticized the state government over its recent announcement of a wage hike for tea garden workers, branding it a “deceptive ploy” designed to mislead the public.

In a press release issued Sunday, TPCC spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty alleged that the tea industry—once revived through the determination and hard work of cooperative garden workers—is now being systematically undermined under the rule of the current "Triple Engine" government.

He recalled that years ago, when many tea gardens were abandoned by absentee owners from outside the state, it was the workers who took the initiative to form cooperatives and revive the sector, with active support from the then state government and cooperative department. However, Chakraborty claimed that in the last seven and a half years, that revival process has stagnated, and cooperative gardens are being mismanaged under the influence of "a coterie of exploiters backed by the BJP leadership."

Referring to the wage hike announced by the state Labour Minister on June 20, Chakraborty pointed out that increasing the daily wage from ₹179 to ₹204 amounts to only a 14 percent rise and was done without the mandatory tripartite consultation with workers and employers. 

“No tripartite meeting was held prior to this decision, which violates due process,” he said, accusing the government of favouring garden owners over labourers.

Drawing comparisons with other BJP-ruled states, the Congress leader highlighted that tea workers in Assam and North Bengal currently earn ₹250 per day, while some other states offer up to ₹300. “Tripura’s tea workers are being compelled to accept unfairly low wages under the guise of development,” the release said.

The Congress party dismissed the government's claims of inclusive development as "hollow propaganda" and urged the people to see beyond official narratives. Chakraborty demanded the immediate cancellation of the ₹204 wage notification, revision of the minimum wage to ₹250 per day, and restoration of the earlier daily green leaf collection target of 19 kg.