Agartala, June 20, 2025: The Government of Tripura has announced a 16 percent increase in the daily wages of workers employed in the state’s tea plantations. The decision was officially declared by Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Tinku Roy at a press conference held in Agartala on Thursday.
As per the revised structure, the daily wage for adult tea garden workers has been increased from ₹176 to ₹204, while for minor workers, the wage has risen from ₹88 to ₹102.
“The last revision of the minimum wage for tea garden workers was done in January 2018, when the rates were increased from ₹105 to ₹176 for adults and from ₹52.50 to ₹88 for minors,” said Minister Roy. “Since then, the cost of living has gone up, and there was a strong demand for wage revision from workers and stakeholders,” he added.
To address this, the state government recently constituted a 10-member committee, chaired by Swapna Das Pal, MLA of the 46-Surma Assembly Constituency, with a mandate of six months. The committee was tasked with reviewing and recommending new wage rates for tea garden workers, taking into account prevailing economic conditions and various categories of employment within tea estates.
A key meeting of this committee was held on May 28, 2025, under the chairmanship of Swapna Das Pal. The meeting witnessed the participation of important stakeholders, including: Sameer Ranjan Ghosh, Chairman, Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd; Sanjay Bagchi, Secretary, Surma Valley Branch, Indian Tea Association, Silchar (Assam); and Joydev Sarkar, President, K.K. Nagar T.S.S.S. Limited.
During deliberations, the committee carefully considered wage disparities, inflationary pressures, and the socio-economic status of workers. Following comprehensive discussions, the committee unanimously recommended a 16 percent hike in wages.
“In the interest of the welfare of thousands of workers who are the backbone of the tea industry in Tripura, the state government has accepted and approved the committee’s recommendation,” Minister Roy said.
This revision is expected to benefit over 8,000 tea garden workers across various estates in Tripura, many of whom have been struggling with stagnant wages amid rising living costs.
Worker unions and local stakeholders have largely welcomed the announcement. Speaking to reporters, a representative of a local tea workers’ union said, “This is a long-awaited step that will bring some relief to our families. We thank the government for listening to our concerns.”
The government has stated that further reviews may be undertaken in future based on industry dynamics and worker welfare indicators.
