PTI
Guwahati
Vernerpur Tea Estate in Hailakandi district of Assam has become the first tea garden in the state to pay salaries to its all employees through bank.
“Joyous atmosphere prevailed as scores of tea labourers of Vernerpur in Hailakandi district on Tuesday got their weekly wages in their bank accounts via digital mode for the first time,” an official release said.
The salaries were paid on Thursday after bank officials visited the Vernerpur Tea Estate to pay wages to all the 786 workers in the cashless transaction.
Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Moloy Bora along with other officials of the district administration witnessed the cashless transaction of wages.
“It augurs well that tea workers are withdrawing money, which they needed, and the rest they have started saving. The future of the workers will be safe and secure,” Bora said.
He exuded optimism that like Vernerpur, other 16 gardens in the district will also make payment of wages through bank accounts of workers on or before the deadline of January 15.
Bora also informed that ATMs will be installed in all tea gardens by January 10.
Vernerpur Tea Estate Manager, P K Chakraborty said though there were some problems faced by the workers initial, they have embraced the new mode of cashless payment.
District Labour Officer Alimuddin Barbhuiya said, “Unlike in the recent past when tea workers spent all the cash the moment they got it, this time around it has been witnessed that they withdrew what they required. This practice of saving will help them to stand in good stead in the future.”
