State to provide food aid to tea workers on World Food Day

SNS, Siliguri, 15 October: To mark World Food Day, the state food and supplies department plans to distribute food stuff among jobless tea workers in closed tea plantations in the Dooars tomorrow. 

State food and supplies minister Jyoti Priya Mallick is scheduled to visit the closed plantations for the distribution and he will also review the public distribution system in the tea belt. North Bengal development department minister Gautam Deb will accompany Mr Mallick and he will also distribute ‘food kits’ among the jobless tea workers in Dheklapara Tea Estate. 

“I will leave for the Dooars tonight and go to the Dheklapara Tea Estate for the distribution of the food items among the jobless tea workers tomorrow to mark World Food Day,” Mr Deb said today. “State food and supplies minister Jyoti Priya Mallick will be coming tomorrow to distribute food among tea workers. Food kit will be distributed among the people belonging to the Toto community in Jalpaiguri,” he added. 

Administrative officials along Mr Mallick may also visit the closed Red Bank tea plantation. The food stuff will be distributed in two other closed tea plantations belonging to the Red Bank group. Administrative officials including the ministers will visit tea plantations in Nagrakata block areas tomorrow to take stock of the situation there. 

Notably, the state government took initiatives to distribute foodstuff frequently after several people died in the closed tea plantations owing to malnutrition.