Dibrugarh: Seventy-three major tea estates in Assam have announced the maximum Durga Puja bonus of 20% for plantation workers.Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) general secretary Rupesh Gowala said on Thursday that the estates, owned by nine major tea groups, announced the bonus.“Till today, all 73 big tea estates that have announced their bonus have declared 20%. Some managements will pay the entire 20% in one instalment, while others will pay 15% before Durga Puja and the remaining 5% before Magh Bihu or Holi in 2027,” Gowala said.Goodricke, Gillanders Arbuthnot, Luxmi Tea and MK Jokai will follow the 15%-plus-5% payment schedule. Rossell Tea, MK Shah Exports, Dhunseri, Jorehaut Tea and Shri Vasuprada Plantations will pay the full bonus in one instalment.The ACMS had urged estate managements to announce the bonus by Sept 20 and disburse it by Oct 5, ahead of Durga Puja.“The response from these estates has been positive, and all of them have announced the maximum 20%,” Gowala said.Under the Code on Wages, 2019, the statutory bonus ranges from 8.33% to 20% of annual wages for eligible employees. The quantum and payment schedule may be determined through agreements between employers and workers.
