Trinamul tourism pitch in tea belt

AVIJIT SINHA, TT, 29 Mar 2019, Siliguri: Trinamul leaders who are campaigning across the Dooars have planned to highlight the employment that has generated in the tourism sector to counter the campaign by its political contenders, particularly the Congress and BJP, which have fielded two candidates who are from tea background, in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Parliament seats respectively.

In Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, votes of the tea population and those living in forest villages largely decide the fate of candidates contesting from these seats.

"The Congress and BJP have acted strategically and have pitted candidates who are popular faces in tea belt. This is why it seems, Trinamul intends to play the employment card while emphasising on the growth of tourism in the region," said a political observer.

In Jalpaiguri, Mani Kumar Darnal, a prominent leader of the Intuc-backed National Union of Plantation Workers, is the Congress candidate while in Alipurduar, John Barla, also a leader based in the tea gardens, has been fielded by BJP.

Both these leaders are popular faces among the tea population and are known for working on issues pertaining to tea workers and their families.

"We have information that the Congress and BJP are speaking on minimum wages for tea workers, the plight of residents in closed tea estates. That is why, it has been decided that our leaders will elaborate on the development of tourism sector that has brought employment to thousands of people, especially youths from tea gardens and adjoining areas since 2011 when our party came to power," said a Trinamul leader in Malbazar, a Jalpaiguri tea zone.

According to party insid- ers, opening of new accommodation and destinations, whether it is "Bhorer Alo" or the mega tourism hub at Gazoldoba near the Teesta Barrage (located 25km from Siliguri) or private resorts, local youths have been employed in different capacities.

"The development of such infrastructure has also generated indirect employment. Hundreds of youths are driving vehicles which carry tourists and working as guides, housekeeping staff, waiters, and in other posts," a Trinamul leader said.

That Trinamul wants to reap dividends from tourism is evident from that fact that the sector has been separately mentioned in the party's manifesto published on Wednesday.

"It is our resolve to give Industry Status to the Tourism Sector and launch a National Tourism Initiative. This will boost the tourism sector, which employs people from all economic strata and is one of the most employment-intensive sectors," the manifesto says, along with elaborate details of tourism infrastructure developed across the state.

In the Dooars, it was a long- standing demand from the youths of tea gardens that alternative options should be created for their employment as recruitment has virtually stopped in tea industry for over two decades now.

Observers believe like in Darjeeling hills, the state has focused on tourism in the Dooars and could ensure a rise in footfall of visitors in the past few years.

"Trinamul is now trying to drive home the point that the demand of the local population for employment has been met to some extent," said one of them..