SCHOLARSHIP AND OTHER
SCHEMES FOR TEA TRIBE/ TEA
GARDEN STUDENTS
The following are the official
schemes. Their implementation is
a matter of concern
THE TEA BOARD OF INDIA HAVE
FOLLOWING SCHEMES FOR
STUDENTS OF TEA GARDENS( as
per tea board of India official
website)
1. Tea Board grants necessary
stipend from elementary/primary
stage in tea growing states of
North & South India. Stipends are
available for elementary, middle,
Secondary education, General and
Technical Degrees including Post
Graduate courses and Technical
and Vocational Education. Under
the scheme, tuition fees and
hostel charges (including
boarding and lodging) are paid on
the basis of actuals subject to a
maximum ceiling of Rs. 40,000/-
per annum per student consisting
of Rs. 20,000/- as tuition fees and
Rs. 20,000/- as hostel charges
(effective from 01-04-2007).
ELIGIBILITY:Children of person
directly employed in a registered
tea estate and governed bythe
Plantation Labour Act are eligible
for stipend provided the wages
(total cash emoluments) of their
parents do not exceed Rs.
10,000/- per month. Application
for stipend should be submitted
in the stipulated form within one
year fromthe date of
commencement of an academic
session during which the stipend
is needed. Application form can
be had from the Head Office, the
Regional or the Subregional
offices of the Tea Board free of
cost.
2. Board has drawn up a special
scheme known as “Nehru
Centenary and commemoration of
the 40th anniversary of India’s
independents”. The scheme
provides lumpsum grant @ Rs.
2,000/- and Rs. 2500/- for the
wards of tea plantation labour,
who wouldsecure at least 75%
marks in the last Class X/
Madhyamik or equivalent and
Class XII/ HigherSecondary or
equivalent examination and then
under going studies in Class XII
or Higher Secondary or Degree
course studies respectively as
educational expenses/book grant.
3. SCHEME OF FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE FOR VOCATIONAL
TRAINING COURSE FORTHE WARDS
OF TEA PLANTATION WORKERS &
THEIR DEPENDANTS.
(EFFECTIVEFROM 1ST APRIL 2007).
Grant may be sanctioned on
submission of a proposal
containing details of programme,
details of beneficiaries and
detailed budget of expenditure in
this connection. The quantum of
grant will be made upto a
maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs for a
course with a duration of six
months to one year for one
discipline.
4. Scheme of Capital Grants for
construction of school/college
buildings and hostel buildings
attached to the school/colleges:
The Board may sanction capital
grants to the authorities of
educational institution (Primary/
Middle/Secondary/Higher
Secondary Schools or equivalent
and colleges) for construction of
school and college buildings. The
grant will also cover construction
of Hostel, Auditorium, Gymnasium,
Laboratory, Playground etc.
5. Board would provide grant to
needy and deserving students a
lump sum grant under a new
scheme of Book & School Uniform
Grant of wards of tea garden
workers especially in the closed/
locked out gardens or those
gardens under severe natural
calamities where the workers are
not getting their regular wages
and their wards are in distressed
condition. This grant is limited to
a maximum of Rs.1000/- per ward
per annum (limited to 2 wards
per worker family) and will be
paid directly to the workers
through the garden management
or such other authorized medium
or institution.
6. SCHEME OF BOARD’S
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR
ENCOURAGING SPORTS ACTIVITIES
AMONGST TEA PLANTATION
WORKERS:(1)Players represented
District will get Rs. 200/- per
month for 2(two) years subject to
continuous and regular
participation at district level
during these years as certified by
the District Magistrate of the
concerned District or any
Committee recognized by the
District Magistrate in this regard.
(ii) Players represented State will
get Rs. 400/- per month for 2(two)
years subject to continuous and
regular participation at State level
during these years as certified by
the concerned Government or
Committee recognized by State
Government in this regard. (iii)
Players represented national level
will get Rs. 600/- per month for 3
(three) years subject to
continuous and regular
participation at national level
during these years as certified by
the Central Government or any
Committee recognized by Central
Government in this regard.
SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME OF ASSAM
GOVT:
1. Scholarships for students
belonging to Tea and Ex-Tea
Garden Tribes in Assam is for
higher studies in certain
disciplines. These includes a
number of courses including
specialized and vocational course
or equivalent based on which
financial assistance will be
awarded. The courses which are
said to be considered for this
financial assistance for tea-garden
and ex-tea garden tribes students
are Management/Public
Administration, Research Work,
Post Graduate Studies, IIT (any
course), MBBS, BAMS, BDS, BE,
BBA, BCA (IT), B.Ed, LL.B, Hotel/
Hospitality Management Sectors
and all their respective courses
above those mentioned.
2. THE DIRECTORATE OF WELFARE
OF TEA GARDEN AND EX-TEA
GARDEN TRIBES, constituted by
the Government of Assam in 1984
also introduced post-matric
scholarship, grants for cultural
activities including educational
tour, grant to nonofficial
organizations, grants for purchase
of text books and uniform and
grants for construction of hostel
for boys/girls..
Assam Tea Labour Welfare Board
.
The Assam Tea Labour Welfare
Board was set up after the
enactment of the Assam Tea
Plantation Labour Welfare Fund
Act, 1959. Since then the Board
has been working for the tea
labour welfare in Assam through
various schemes. These schemes
includes provision of boys’ hostel
facility to children of tea garden
labourers studying in colleges;
provision of one- time scholarship
for buying textbooks to students
studying from class VIII to the
university level; and facilitation of
nursing training for the educated
children of tea garden labourers.
THE OFFICIALS OF THE BOARD
CLAIM THAT THE LATTER IS
FACING A SHORTAGE OF FUNDS
FOR IMPLEMENTING ALL THESE
SCHEMES, AND THAT
THEREFORE,THE BOARD IS SLATED
TO SUSPEND ALL ITS ACTIVITIES IF
REGULAR FUNDING IS NOT MADE
AVAILABLE URGENTLY.
THE ESTIMATED BUDGET OF THE
BOARD IS APPROXIMATELY RS.5
CRORE PER YEAR. THE
COMMISSIONER OF THE ASSAM
TEA LABOUR WELFARE BOARD
STATED THAT THE BOARD WAS
NOT ABLE TO MEET EVEN ITS
SALARY COMPONENT WITH THE
GIVEN ALLOCATION FROM THE
STATE GOVERNMENT, THUS
LEAVING NO MONEY FOR WELFARE
SCHEMES.