Timely payment of wages to tea workers top priority: Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today directed the banks to ensure that tea garden workers opened bank accounts to facilitate timely disbursal of weekly wages.
In a high level meeting attended by top bank officials and representatives of tea associations, Sonowal underlined the importance of financial inclusion of tea garden workers as well as to ensure timely disbursal of weekly remuneration in a cashless manner.
"Banks must put up a system which ensures that the tea garden economy and its network of business doesn't suffer due to non-availability of adequate fund for payment of wages," Sonowal emphasised.
The chief minister also stressed on opening of sufficient number of ATMs in tea garden areas of the state.

Financial literacy amongst tea garden workers was the need of the hour, he said and urged the bankers to expedite such literacy programmes in a more intensive manner and wanted the Asom Chah Mazdoor Sangh to play a proactive role in educating tea workers on the new mode of financial system.