A new pension scheme aimed at strengthening the social security of tea industry workers is set to be introduced under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation.
The programme will be implemented in partnership with the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board and the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, officials announced.
The proposed scheme will allow employees attached to tea estates and tea factories to enroll by selecting contribution plans based on their financial ability.
According to officials, a worker who joins the scheme at the age of 18 and contributes Rs. 600 every quarter will be eligible to receive a monthly pension of Rs. 5,000 after reaching the age of 60.
Higher pension benefits ranging from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000 or more will also be available depending on the value of premiums paid throughout the contribution period.
Contributors will additionally be allowed to increase their premium payments at any time in order to improve their future retirement income.
Apart from pension benefits, the scheme also includes life insurance coverage for contributors who suffer total or partial disability due to accidents or who pass away before reaching pension age.
Officials further stated that if a beneficiary dies while receiving pension payments, the pension entitlement will be transferred to the spouse.
The initiative has been introduced with the objective of ensuring long-term financial stability and social protection for tea industry workers during old age, particularly at a stage when continuing physically demanding work may no longer be possible.
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