Gogoi announces panel for Assam tea tribes

Guwahati, January 7 (IANS): In a bid to woo the tea tribe communities ahead of the assembly elections, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said the government will set up a 'Tea Tribe Commission' to facilitate all-round development of the tribes.   At a tea workers convention in Silchar, Gogoi said the tea communities have been living in the state for decades, and were playing an inseparable role in strengthening the state's composite culture. "The proposed tea tribe commission will address all key areas of the community such as health, nutrition, employment etc," Gogoi said.

  The government will also set up a directorate to expedite educational development and facilitate skill development of the tea tribes. "The government will formulate a policy called 'Bagan Ghar' to ensure housing to all tea workers," he said.   The Assam government had recently asked tea gardens under the state-run Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) as well as private gardens to hike wages of workers.