Camp to help tea workers

DM Nikhil Nirmal at a stall in the tea garden on Sunday. (Anirban Choudhury)

TT, Alipurduar: The district administration on Sunday moved into Madhu tea estate that is close since September 2014 and held a camp to help residents with information regarding social welfare schemes and resolve their problems with regard to the schemes and other benefits.

Led by Nikhil Nirmal, the district magistrate, officials of as many as 22 different state departments were present at the football ground of the garden. They heard the residents' problems and even resolved some issues.

Named as " Apnar Bagane Proshason or Proshason Bagan ke Dwar", (administration in your garden), it is a public awareness and grievance redressal programme that would be conducted throughout the district, said the DM.

This is the second time that the administration of a district in north Bengal has moved to interiors. Earlier, the administration of North Dinajpur had held a similar camp at a school in the Hemtabad block of the district.

"At the last administrative review meeting of the district that was held in Uttarkanya earlier this month, the chief minister had instructed us to take proactive steps to creating awareness and for better delivery of services in tea gardens and tribal areas of the district. On Sunday, around 1,500 people attended the camp," added Nirmal.

Political observers said the move was an attempt by the state to placate the grievances of jobless workers and their families.

"The garden is close for almost two years. The workers are jobless and finding it tough to run their families. In such a situation, a camp is of help," said an observer.