Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
The Assam government on Wednesday announced that it would deposit Rs 2,500 each to over seven lakh bank accounts of tea garden workers that were opened just after the demonetisation drive two years ago.
This amount is the second installment of the Rs 5,000 incentive announced in the budget for 2017-18 last year.
"The state government approved release of Phase-II of the scheme. All beneficiaries covered during the Phase-I will receive the second part of Rs 2,500 in their bank accounts on January 15, 2019," Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference.
The Union government had on November 8, 2016, stopped use of high value banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination.
The Assam government had transferred Rs 2,500 to each of the 7,21,485 accounts of tea garden workers across 752 tea gardens in 26 districts during the first phase, he added.
"It is heartening to know that out of those accounts, around seven lakh remained active. We had spent around Rs 182 crore in the first phase," Sarma informed.
Besides, depositing money in the accounts of the first phase, the government will include around 7,000 accounts of tea garden workers opened before demonetisation period and transfer Rs 5,000 to each of them during the second phase, he added.
"As there will be more number of accounts in the second phase, the total outgo this time will be around Rs 200 crore," Sarma said.
