Digital payment deadline for Assam tea workers looks doubtful

The Assam government has settled on January 15 as the deadline for transiting to digital wage payment for tea workers from cash disbursements, after having failed to meet the target dates on this thrice.

The first deadline was December 5. 

However, the state government, as well as the banks, is finding it difficult to make the shift because there is no clarity on the number of bank accounts to be opened. 

While the official estimates put the number of registered tea garden workers at 786,000, the tea industry’s as well as the labour union’s estimate is around 1.1 million.

On January 5, Union Labour