Increase the salaries of upcountry plantation workers compared to the cost of living.

Why this status

Delivered substantially as promised. The 2026 Budget raised the basic daily wage from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,550 and added a Rs. 200 attendance incentive; the President's Office later reported a Rs. 1,750 daily wage. The basic-wage increase (+14.8%) and full attended-day package (+29.6%) both exceeded the CCPI increase from 190.9 in September 2024 to 208.8 in August 2026 (+9.4%), using DCS's 2021=100 series. Caveat: the Rs. 200 is attendance-dependent, is not EPF-eligible, and Parliament said its MoU-based mechanism needs a stronger legal footing. The pledge called for wages to rise relative to living costs, not a permanent automatic-indexation formula.

Evidence timeline

Oldest first. Each item is labelled by whether it supports the promise being kept or cuts against it.

1. 30 Sept 2024SupportsOfficial release

   “DCS reported the all-items CCPI (base 2021=100) at 190.9 in September 2024.”

   Open source
2. 7 Nov 2025SupportsBudget document

   “The 2026 Budget proposed increasing the estate-sector minimum daily wage from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,550 from January 2026, plus a Rs. 200 daily attendance incentive funded by government.”

   Open source
3. 24 Feb 2026AgainstOfficial release

   “Parliament's Committee on Public Finance said the Rs. 200 attendance allowance was MoU-based rather than gazetted, did not qualify for EPF contributions, and required a proper legal framework.”

   Open source
4. 1 May 2026SupportsOfficial release

   “The President's Office stated on 1 May 2026 that plantation workers' wages had been increased to Rs. 1,750.”

   Open source
5. 31 Aug 2026SupportsOfficial release

   “DCS reported the all-items CCPI (base 2021=100) at 208.8 in August 2026.”

   Open source