TEs to have community halls: Tea Tribe and Labour Welfare Minister Sanjoy Kishan

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government is planning to construct a community hall-cum-skill development centre in each tea garden in the state phases to serve the twin objectives of skilling tea garden youths and facilitating the holding of various community-based cultural events, marriages, etc.

Talking to The Sentinel, Tea Tribe and Labour Welfare Minister Sanjoy Kishan said, “Development of the tea community is one of the thrust areas of the present government. In the 2022–23 Budget, the State Government committed to building hall-cum-community centres in the prominent locations of tea gardens. The name proposed for such community halls is Mahaprabhu Jagannath Community Hall-cum-Skill Centre. We will construct such community halls-cum-skill centres in phases. The community members can hold marriage ceremonies in such centres that will have all the basic amenities. The community halls will also have added facilities for skill development trainings.”

According to sources, initially the government will pick up 500 of the around 800 tea gardens in the state for the construction of community halls. The government will take the remaining 300 gardens later.

The State Budget has a provision of Rs 200 crore for these community halls at the initial stage. The government feels that this move will fulfil a long-standing need of the tea garden community in the state. The tea gardens in the state do not have any community halls constructed by the State Government. Some of the tea gardens have halls of their own.

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