Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Gives Away Lokanayak Omeo Kumar Das Awards

Quality education to tea garden students is government’s fundamental duty: Sonowal

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal gave away the Lokanayak Omeo Kumar Das Memorial Meritorious Award to meritorious students belonging to tea community and tea garden areas in recognition to their good results in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations at a function at ITA Centre of Performing Arts at Machkhowa in Guwahati on Wednesday. The awards; carrying cash rewards, citations and copies of dictionary; were given away to meritorious students belonging to three categories – worker category, sub-staff category and staff category.

Organized by Assam Tea Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (ATEPFO), the programme was an attempt to recognize the shining students belonging to tea garden areas and to motivate them in their further studies.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, “Education is the tool through which society experiences paradigm shift to ensure quality of life. Ever since the present dispensation in the State has come to power, the government has attached utmost importance to the development of education, especially in the tea garden areas.” He also said, “Giving quality education to the students of tea garden areas is the fundamental duty of our government. Attempts are being made through the programmes like Digital India, Make in India, Start up India for the empowerment tea community in the state”.

Reiterating State government’s commitment to push development of tea community, Sonowal said that right from distributing free textbooks and free admission in colleges to providing scholarships, his government been taking several steps for educational development of the students of the state, including students belonging to tea garden areas. He, however, said that the recent success of the students belonging to tea community in different fields of life has made the State confident, as the government is now looking for both micro and macro level intervention for the development of tea communities.

Acknowledging the role played by the tea communities towards the growth of state’s economy, Sonowal said that the aroma of Assam Tea would not have reached worldwide without the contributions of the tea garden workers.

Minister of State (independent charge) Labour and Employment Pallab Lochan Das, while speaking on the occasion, gave a brief overview of several schemes that the government has taken and will take for the welfare of tea garden areas. He announced that the State Government will construct auditoriums in tea gardens of the State and an archery academy for women would be set up in memory of martyr Mangri Orang. Book Fairs will be organized at tea garden areas on November 2, 3 and 4. He also said that for imparting coaching to UPSC aspirants, the State government will start coaching for 50 bright students belonging to tea garden areas. Moreover, for students seeking admission in Engineering and Medical, coaching classes will be organized. He also said that 100 new high schools up to Class X in a PPP mode will be set in tea garden areas.