Social Security for Tea Plantation Workers in Assam

The scheme "Social Security for Tea Plantation Workers in Assam" was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. The scheme aims to provide institutionalized social security cover, including provident funds, pensions, and deposit-linked insurance, to the tea garden workers and employees working in the state of Assam. The scheme provides provident fund advances, monthly family pensions, and one-time life assurance benefits. The applicant must be an employee of a tea plantation or a tea factory receiving a monthly salary up to ₹15,000/- per month or a daily wage worker. The scheme is implemented by the Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organization.

Assam Tea Plantations Provident Fund Scheme

• Provident Fund advances provided on grounds such as marriage, death ceremonies, medical treatment, higher/technical education, economic hardships, and house building.
• Settlement of a member's Provident Fund account upon retirement, termination, or cessation of employment.

Pension Scheme

• Full pensionary benefit paid after retirement at the age of 58 years, provided the member has a minimum period of service of 10 years.
• In the event of cessation of membership after 50 years and before 58 years, pension benefits are paid as per a prescribed schedule.
• Family Pension-cum-Life Assurance Scheme:
• A lump-sum one-time benefit of ₹2,000/- is immediately paid on the death of the tea plantation worker.
• A minimum monthly family pension of ₹1,000/- per month is provided.
• A maximum monthly family pension of ₹1,500/- per month is provided, depending on the Provident Fund balance of the member on the date of death.
• Timely disbursement of Family Pension claims is done within 7 days.

Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme

• A one-time monetary assurance benefit is paid to the nominee in the event of the death of an employee who was a member of the Provident Fund Scheme.
• A minimum assurance benefit of ₹1,00,000/- (previously ₹50,000/-) is provided to the nominee.
• A maximum assurance benefit of ₹2,00,000/- (previously ₹1,00,000/-) is provided to the nominee, equal to the amount of balance in the deceased member's Provident Fund account.
• Timely disbursement of Deposit Linked Insurance claims is done within 7 days.

Conditions

• The employee must contribute 12% of their wages, which includes dearness allowances, value of food concessions, and amounts received for plucking tea leaves.
• The employer must contribute at the same 12% rate.
• The employer is mandated to deduct the contributions from the employee and deposit the collected amount along with their own share into the Board's Account within 30 days.
• If an employer fails to deposit the contribution within the prescribed time, a loss of interest at 15% per annum is charged on the employer for the defaulting period.
• For the Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, contributions are made by the Tea Garden Management at 0.50% and the Government of India at 0.25% of the gross annual wages.
• For the Family Pension-cum-Life Assurance Scheme, the Government of India contributes 1 1/6% of the gross annual wages of a tea plantation worker.

• The applicant must be an employee of a plantation or a tea factory in the state of Assam.
• The applicant must be receiving a monthly salary up to ₹15,000/- per month, or be a daily-wage worker.
• For full pensionary benefits, the member must retire at the age of 58 years with a minimum period of service of 10 years.
• For the Family Pension-cum-Life Assurance Scheme and the Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, the member must expire while in service.
• For the Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, the deceased employee must have a minimum Provident Fund balance of ₹1,000/- at credit on the date of death.

Online

Step 1:**** Accessing the e-Portal

The employer or organization official must begin the process by accessing the official portal of ATEPFO. This portal acts as the centralized dashboard for all statutory submissions and online claims.

Step 2:**** Employer and Member Registration

The employer must navigate to the "Registration" section on the portal to execute "Employer Registration" for their tea garden or factory. Following this, the employer must perform "Member Registration" for all eligible employees and daily wage workers from the very first day of their employment.

Step 3:**** Contribution Deduction and Deposit

The employer must actively deduct 12% of the employees' wages and match the contribution with their own 12% share. The employer then logs into the "Employers Login" section and utilizes the "Quick Pay (Dues)" facility to deposit the funds into the Board's account within the mandatory 30-day window.

Step 4:**** Claim Submission by Officials

When a member requires an advance, reaches retirement, or in the event of a worker's death, the designated ATEPFO Officials log in directly from the tea gardens. They navigate to specific sections ("Provident Fund Login", "PENSION Login", "Deposit Linked Insurance Login") to process and submit the statutory claim forms.

Status Tracking

The submitted claims and complaint registrations are processed live on the portal. Members can monitor the progress of their claims, payments, and complaints directly through the "Claim Status Check" facility, the "e-Passbook", or via the integrated SMS Gateway.

Benefit Disbursal

Upon successful verification, benefits such as family pensions or insurance assurances are disbursed to the beneficiary within 7 days.

Grievance Redressal / Help & Support

Applicants and members can utilize the "Register a Complaint" and "Complaint Status" modules directly on the e-Portal. For further assistance, the official contact number is 0361-2300108, and the support email address is [email protected].

• Identity Proof of the Employee.
• Proof of Employment in a Tea Plantation or Tea Factory in Assam.
• Salary Slip or Wage Proof Indicating a Monthly Salary up to ₹15,000/- or Daily Wage Status.
• Death Certificate of the Employee (Required in Case of Claims for Family Pension and Deposit-Linked Insurance Schemes).
• Nominee Identity Proof and Bank Account Details (Required for Death Claim Settlements).
• Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organization Member Registration Details.