The Government of Assam has announced a ₹750 crore project to set up 500 Jagannath Community Hall-cum-Skill Centres across the state’s tea garden regions. 

• The initiative marks a transformative step toward empowerment, education, and economic inclusion for Assam’s tea tribe and Adivasi communities.

About the Initiative

• These centres will serve as community hubs for skill training, cultural preservation, and social development.
• Each centre will provide training in vocational skills, including agriculture, weaving, hospitality, IT, and entrepreneurship.
• The project will be implemented under the Tea Tribe Welfare and Labour Welfare Department, aligning with the Skill India Mission and Assam’s Employment and Entrepreneurship Policy.
• The initiative aims to promote local leadership, women’s participation, and youth empowerment, transforming tea garden areas into self-reliant communities.
• Significance:
  • Assam’s tea garden population forms nearly 17% of the state’s total, yet faces chronic challenges like low literacy, poverty, and limited access to welfare schemes.
  • This project bridges that gap by integrating education, livelihood, and heritage, ensuring long-term inclusive growth.
  • The centres will also act as social platforms to celebrate traditional festivals, preserving the rich cultural legacy of the tea tribe community.

Prelims Question

Q. With reference to the Jagannath Community Hall-cum-Skill Centres initiative of Assam, consider the following statements:

1. It aims to empower tea garden communities through cultural preservation and skill training.
   
2. It is implemented under the Tea Tribe Welfare and Labour Welfare Department.
   
3. It is part of the Skill India Mission framework.
   

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: D

One-line wrap:
The ₹750-crore Jagannath Community Hall-cum-Skill Centre project transforms Assam’s tea gardens into engines of empowerment, skill, and social unity.

https://www.sentinelassam.com/topheadlines/new-dawn-for-assams-tea-garden-communities-empowerment-heritage-and-hope