Tea Association Thanks Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for New Scheme to Help Tea Workers
The Tea Association of India expressed gratitude to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for deciding to implement the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana.’ This scheme is designed to help tea workers, especially women and their children, in Assam and West Bengal.
According to an official release, the Tea Association mentioned that Rs 1,000 crores will be allocated for this scheme, as proposed in the Budget Speech of 2021-22. The funds will be used to improve education and health services for tea workers. The scheme will be implemented during the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Under the ‘Productivity and Resilience Agriculture’ proposals, new climate-resilient varieties and digital public infrastructure are planned to boost the rural economy. The government is also focusing on ‘Employment and Skilling’ by introducing various skilling programs and loans with government guarantees to create an efficient workforce. The tea industry is expected to benefit from these initiatives.
The development of digital and banking infrastructure in tea-growing regions has been a long-standing demand of the tea industry. The announcement of new bank branches in the North Eastern region is seen as a positive step in this direction. Additionally, the continuation of the PMAY and PMGSY schemes will benefit the rural population, including those in tea gardens.
The Tea Association of India welcomes the government’s proactive steps in addressing the ‘Economic Policy Framework’ by proposing reforms to improve productivity and market efficiency. These reforms will cover all factors of production, including land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship, and technology, to enhance total factor productivity and reduce inequality.
Doubts Revealed
Tea Association of India -: The Tea Association of India is a group that represents people and companies involved in the tea industry in India. They work to support and promote the tea business.
Union Finance Minister -: The Union Finance Minister is a person in the Indian government who is responsible for managing the country’s money and finances. Nirmala Sitharaman is the current Finance Minister.
Nirmala Sitharaman -: Nirmala Sitharaman is an important leader in India who manages the country’s finances. She helps decide how the government spends money and collects taxes.
Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana -: This is a new government plan to help tea workers in India. ‘Pradhan Mantri’ means ‘Prime Minister,’ ‘Cha’ means ‘tea,’ ‘Shramik’ means ‘worker,’ and ‘Protsahan Yojana’ means ‘encouragement scheme.’
Assam and West Bengal -: Assam and West Bengal are two states in India where a lot of tea is grown. Many tea workers live and work in these states.
Rs 1,000 crores -: Rs 1,000 crores is a large amount of money. In Indian currency, ‘Rs’ stands for Rupees, and ‘crore’ is a term used to represent ten million. So, Rs 1,000 crores is 10 billion Rupees.
FY 2024-25 and 2025-26 -: FY stands for ‘Financial Year,’ which is a period used for accounting and budgeting. FY 2024-25 means the financial year from April 2024 to March 2025, and FY 2025-26 means from April 2025 to March 2026.
rural economies -: Rural economies refer to the economic activities and businesses in the countryside or villages. The government wants to help these areas grow and develop.
skilling programs -: Skilling programs are training courses that help people learn new skills or improve existing ones. These programs aim to make people better at their jobs or help them find new work.
digital infrastructure development -: Digital infrastructure development means building and improving technology systems like the internet and computers. This helps people in rural areas connect to the digital world and access online services.
