State cash for tea hospitals

ANIRBAN CHOUDHURY, TT, Jan 23, 2018, Alipurduar: In a first-of-its-kind move, the state has sanctioned funds to improve two hospitals in tea estates of Alipurduar for workers and their families.

The grant of Rs 51 lakh, sources said, followed requests from Alipurduar Zilla Parishad chief Mohan Sharma and Alipurduar Trinamul MLA Sourav Chakraborty to chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

One of these hospitals is at the Ramjhora tea estate and is owned by the management of the garden. The other is the Malangi hospital for workers of the Satali, Beech and Bharnobari tea estates.

"Work on both hospitals will start soon. We have received the funds. Around Rs. 31.77 lakh will be spent on the Malangi hospital and Rs 18.36 lakh on the hospital at Ramjhora. The district health department will extend all necessary help so these facilities can run in a full-fledged manner after infrastructure development," said Sharma, the Zilla Parishad chief.

"In Alipurduar district, there are 65 tea estates out of which, there are qualified doctors only in six . In all remaining gardens, treatment of patients is done either by quacks or by paramedics, even though it is necessary to have a qualified medical practitioner in each garden as the Plantation Labour Act. This is an indication that the health services in tea estates are in a shambles," said a source.

The move, observers said, is significant, particularly because the Joint Forum, an apex body of tea trade unions (other than those by Trinamul) and the BJP have flagged the poor health services in gardens time and again.

"Along with wages, it (health) is another important issue. It seems Trinamul is making all efforts to ensure tea workers support it in this year's rural polls. Also, it can help the party to counter non-Trinamul trade unions," said an observer.