Addressing a packed rally in Golaghat on Sunday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan laid out a series of welfare commitments aimed primarily at tea garden workers, a crucial electoral demographic in the state.

Projecting a welfare-driven vision, Chouhan announced that tea workers requiring repairs to their homes would be eligible for financial assistance of Rs 75,000. He further pledged an increase in annual scholarships for graduate students from tea garden communities, raising the amount from Rs 7,000 to RS 12,000. A significant highlight of his address was the promise to ensure a daily wage of Rs 500 for tea labourers.

Seeking to broaden opportunities for marginalised communities, the Union Minister also spoke of a proposal to introduce a 3 per cent reservation for tea tribes and tribal groups in Grade I and Grade II government jobs.

While pitching development and welfare, Chouhan did not hold back in his political attack on the opposition. Aiming for the Congress, he alleged that internal divisions have weakened the party, particularly following the recent visit of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Assam. According to him, a fragmented opposition would struggle to deliver governance or development.

Campaigning in support of NDA candidate Atul Bora in the Bokakhat constituency, Chouhan asserted that the National Democratic Alliance remains the only viable force capable of ensuring Assam’s progress.

He also highlighted what he described as key achievements under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, particularly emphasising land reforms. Chouhan claimed that over 1.26 lakh acres of land had been cleared of encroachment, including areas within Kaziranga National Park. He reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing such drives to reclaim land.

Focusing on welfare delivery, the Union Minister Chouhan pointed out that many tea garden workers have already been granted land ownership through land pattas, enabling them to access housing benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. This, he said, marked a significant shift in empowering historically marginalised communities.

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