July 16, 2014
WB CM writes to Central Govt regarding the plight of tea garden workers
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms MamataBanerjee has written to the Central Minister of State (Independent Charge) forMinistry of Commerce & Industry, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman to address theproblems of the closed tea gardens in the state. She urged the Union Ministerto take necessary steps rejuvenate the tea industry.
The West Bengal Chief Minister has requestfor a financial package which may benefit around three thousand tea workers.The state Government has already stood by the side of the workers in theseclosed tea gardens. A delegation of ministers – including the state FoodMinister, MoS Health, North Bengal Development Minister and Labour Minister – hasalready visited the gardens, clearing several hurdles on spot.
Under the instructions of the ChiefMinister, government officials and engineers have visited the tea garden toassess the condition of the labourers` quarters and repair them throughgovernment schemes like Indira AwasYojana. State government is also distributing cooked food to the joblessworkers of the closed garden and has strengthened the ICDS centres to provide nutritiousto the children. The workers have alsobeen receiving rice at Rs 2 per kg under the instructions of the ChiefMinister.
