GUWAHATI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 6 patted the back of the public sector banks for opening record 8 lakh bank accounts of tea labourers in Assam.
“I had come here in February and advised banks to open bank accounts of workers of the tea gardens. Braving all odds during Corona Pandemic banks have made it possible, so the government is able to transfer money directly to the beneficiary," Sitharaman said.
Delving on her budget proposals, Sitharaman said, “The government has given Rs 1,000 crores for the development of women and children of the tea workers. We will give more whenever the need arises,” Sitharaman said taking part in the government sponsored ‘Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela’ at Assam Veterinary College playground, Khanapara in Guwahati.
Sitharaman said that the Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is always thinking of ways to improve the living conditions of tea workers in country - majority of whom are from Assam.
“It was the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transfer the money directly to the beneficiary without interference of middlemen. DBT has made it possible,” Sitharaman said after ceremonially giving away cheques of Rs 3,000 to six tea workers in the state.
Under the Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela scheme, Rs 3,000 will be credited to 7,46,667 tea workers each as the third tranche of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Sitharaman also praised the banks for opening 8 lakh numbers of bank accounts of tea labourers in record time.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also attended the event.
The flagship scheme was launched in the financial year 2017-18.
The objective of the ‘Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela’ is to incentivize and strengthen the efforts of financial inclusion of the tea tribe community.
In phase-I of the scheme, Rs 2500 was credited to 6,33,411 bank accounts of tea garden workers in 2017-18. In phase-II, 7,15,979 workers got Rs 2500 under the scheme.
