CM Sarma felicitates CWG gold medalist Nayanmoni Saikia
Guwahati, Rongili Barta- Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma felicitated Nayanmoni Saikia, a member of the winning women’s lawn bowls team in Commonwealth Games, on Thursday with a Jaapi, a Shorai and a Phulam gamusa. Appreciating the Commonwealth gold medalist’s spirit that led to bringing pride to the nation in Birmingham, Sarma assured of all assistance and co-operation from the State government on her endeavour to reach greater heights in sports. Accompanied by her husband Bhaskar Jyoti Gohain and daughter Tanaya, Nayanmoni thnaked Sarma for his gesture. She was also accompanied by Mridul Borgohain, a member of Indian men’s lawn bowl in CWG, Assam Lawn Bowls Association president Durga Das Boro, Assam Olympic Association general secretary Lakshya Konwar, AOA vice-President Pranoy Bordoloi, with a few others. Earlier Sarma held a meeting with the tea associations, tea garden managements & workers’ union on Wednesday, where he declared that the State government will increase daily wages of tea workers by Rupees 27. As a result of this hike, their daily wages become Rs 232 in Brahmaputra valley and Rs 210 in Barak valley. It may be mentioned that the increase of wage will be over and above ration and other benefits.The meeting also assured to raise the government subsidy for orthodox tea from Rs 7 to 10 per kilogram. Last year following a meeting with Assam Tea Mazdoor Sangha and other workers’ unions, the government decided to hike the wage of tea workers by Rs 38 with retrospective effect from 23 February. As a result, the daily wage of tea workers became Rs 205 from 167 in Brahmaputra valley and Rs 183 from 145 in Barak valley. Moreover, under the National Food Security Act, Sarma asked the concerned department to issue registration of more fairprice shops in the tea garden areas to make the system of giving food grains at subsidized rates stronger. In presence of State ministers Ajanta Neog, Sanjay Kisan and Bimal Bora, Assam Tea Mazdoor Sangha president Pawan Singh Ghatowar, legislator Rupesh Gowala and several senior government officers, Sarma also said that those beneficiaries, who have not received cards under NFSA, should be brought under the scheme at an early date.