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A Correspondent
JORHAT: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday attended the 3rd Shramik Kalyan Divas celebration programme held at Kathalguri Tea Estate playground at Mariani in Jorhat. The Shramik Kalyan Divas is celebrated in recognition of the remarkable services of notable tea community leader and social worker Santosh Kumar Topno on his birth anniversary since 2017. The programme was organized by the Labour Welfare Department, Government of Assam and Assam Labour Welfare Committee.
Speaking as the chief guest, Chief Minister Sonowal said that Assam was known in the world because of Assam tea. But the people who actually produce the Assam tea remained neglected for the last seven decades of India’s independence. Now the State and the Central governments had come forth with a committed zeal to uplift the condition of the workers and the tea garden community in Assam. He also underlined the immense potential of the tea garden people and their hard-working nature and reiterated that the State Government had already launched series of initiatives to ensure better and dignified life for them. He also highlighted the great contributions of tea community leader Santosh Kumar Topno and called upon the people to follow his footsteps to develop a more cohesive, harmonious and vibrant Assam.
Informing about various schemes being implemented by both the Central and State governments for the development of the tea tribe community, Chief Minister Sonowal said that 10,000 tea tribe youths would be provided one-time grant of Rs 25,000 for encouraging entrepreneurship and one-time grant of Rs 10,000 would also be provided to the meritorious students of the community who have passed HSLC and HS examinations with success. He also called upon the tea community youths to strive for excelling in academics, cultural field and sports so that they could establish Assam firmly in the world stage.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need of maintaining unity and harmony among the people cutting across Barak-Brahmaputra valleys, plains and hills of the State and he urged the members of the tea community to empower themselves with education so that they could take advantage of various schemes launched by the government for their development. He highlighted initiatives like CM’s Cup Football Tournament for tea garden to harness the sports talents among the youths of the tea tribe community. Saying that through dedication and hard work the young generation must fulfil their responsibility of bringing development to their community, Sonowal gave the clarion call of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in each and every tea garden line of the State so that prevalence rate of diseases among tea garden community could be reduced.
Santosh Kumar Topno saw the dream of an educated and empowered tea tribe community and people should join hands to make this dream a reality, he said.
The Chief Minister also felicitated writer Jaleswari Tasa, artiste Dulal Manki, footballer Pranjal Bhumij among others for achieving success in their respective fields and setting example within the tea community. The Chief Minister also presented awards to managements of different tea gardens for best implementation of various government schemes. Along with that, he released a souvenir published on the occasion of Shramik Kalyan Divas.
The Chief Minister also awarded Jorhat district for best performance in implementing wage compensation scheme for tea garden pregnant women and inaugurated a cultural stage in memory of Mangri Orang at Mariani.
Union Minister of State for Food Processing Rameswar Teli, Jorhat MP Tapan Kumar Gogoi and Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa also spoke at the programme which was attended by MLAs Sanjay Kishan, Terosh Gowala, Jogen Mohan, Rituparna Baruah and Dr. Numal Momin, Principal Secretary of Labour Welfare Department JB Ekka, Jorhat Deputy Commissioner along with several other dignitaries.