The Tea Directorate was set up by a Cabinet Memorandum vide No. MI.275/87/13 dtd. 29-09-1988 in the year 1992 for the interest of public service. This Directorate is under the Administrative control of Industries & Commerce Department to deal with matters relating to the tea industry. The head quarter of this Directorate is presently at Tea Auction Centre, GS Road , Guwahati- 781 006.
In view of the enormous growth of small tea growers and with their figure raising day by day the State Government, for the development and welfare of Small Tea Growers (STGs) and workers numbering around 1(one) lakh had declared a Cess Utilisation Policy in 2010.

Cess Utilisation Policy, 2010:
The Cess Utilisation policy adopted by State Govt. in 2010 for the development and welfare of STGs provides benefit such as :

• Providing common infrastructure for setting up area wise green leaf collection & auction centre supported with measuring scale.
• Creation of revolving fund and providing loan for procurement of timely applying inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, spray machine and other inputs.
• Assistance for imparting training for good manufacturing practices at i) Institutes like Assam Agricultural University / Tea Research Institute etc. ii) Field level by engaging resource persons/consultant iii) Training outside the State/country.
• Providing of insurance cover to the workers involved in small tea garden, including health insurance.
• Special assistance to small tea growers co-operative/SHG to set up small orthodox BLF(Prototype)or small CTC factory.
• Assistance in the form of subsidy for procurement of green leaf carrying vehicles.
• Assistance to meet emergent medical expenditure.

The above policy was further amended and notified as the Cess Utilisation (Amended) Policy, 2015 w.e.f 30th May, 2015.