Tea garden workers in Assam will see their minimum daily wages rise by Rs 30 from April 1, 2026, following a notification issued by the Department of Labour Welfare acting on the Assam Cabinet's approval.
Workers in the Brahmaputra Valley will receive Rs 280 per day, up from the existing Rs 250, while those in the Barak Valley will receive Rs 258 per day, up from Rs 228. The hike applies to workers in both large and small tea gardens across both valleys.
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The wage revision is the latest in a series of increases that have pushed daily wages significantly higher over the past five years.
In the Brahmaputra Valley, the daily wage stood at Rs 197 before 2021. It was raised to Rs 205 in 2021, Rs 232 in 2022, Rs 250 in 2023, and now Rs 280 from April 2026 — a cumulative increase of over 40 per cent since 2021.
In the Barak Valley, wages rose from Rs 175 before 2021 to Rs 183 in 2021, Rs 210 in 2022, Rs 228 in 2023, and Rs 258 from April 2026.
The Department of Labour Welfare's notification stated that the revision follows a recommendation made by the Minimum Wages Advisory Board for tea plantation workers of Assam at its meeting on February 26, 2026.
"The Governor of Assam is pleased to allow an interim increase of Rs 30 in the interim minimum wages of the tea plantation workers with effect from April 1, 2026," the notification read.
Following the notification, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X to highlight the contrast with previous governments.
"The difference is clear! While the BJP government has hiked wages of Cha Shramiks by over 40% since 2021, Congress governments used them as a mere vote bank for decades. We are rectifying this historical injustice and boosting their income, granting land rights, giving reservations and a lot more," he wrote.