Darj MP rues tea workers' land plightDarj MP rues tea workers' land plight

SNS, SILIGURI, 16 JULY 2022 : Darjeeling's BJP MP Raju Bista has reacted to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to allow tea garden workers in the Hills to operate home-stays in their homes.

Mr Bista today wondered how the workers, a majority of whom live in a two-room quarter allocated to them by the company, and are not given permission to expand their dwelling space, could operate the home-stay business.

"Only two days ago, many political operatives and Trinamool Congress propaganda network went on an overdrive when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told the Chief Secretary to explore the possibility of permitting tea garden workers to start homestays. No one bothered to ask her how can the tea garden workers run the homestay, when a majority of them stay in a two rooom quarter allocated to them by the company, and are not given permission to expand their dwelling space?"

Mr Bista said, adding, "In the absence of Parja Patta (land rights), our sisters and brothers working in the tea gardens and cinchona gardens continue to remain most vulnerable," Mr Bista said.

"The notices issued to residents of Gumba Dara in Peshok stands as a stark reminder to us all that the future of the workers in tea garden and cinchona gardens is not at all safe under the Trinamool led government. I have come to realize that the sufferings of our sisters and brothers from the tea gardens and cinchona gardens will continue, as long as they continue to remain deprived of their parja patta landrights," Mr Bist a claimed.

"Therefore, for the past two years, I have been working with the tea industry stakeholders from across our region-the tea planters, the tea garden workers, the tea sellers and other stakeholders to highlight the problems and issues facing the tea industry at the highest level of our government. I have been a part of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, and I have invited various tea industry stakeholders for hearings on tea garden related issues," the MP added.

The Parliamentary Committee on Commerce held a series of hearings from 7 March this year on "Issues Affecting the Indian Tea Industry, especially in the Darjeeling Region," with various stakeholders and the Ministry of Commerce officials, it is learnt.

Recently, the Committee has come up with specific findings and recommendations for ensuring the wellbeing of the tea industry, and the tea workers in particular.

The committee has recommended a panel of eminent persons to study the Parja Patta issue in depth, and a legislation to be enacted to ensure the land rights of the workers.

"The government must ensure upward mobility of the wages, and the minimum threshold wages be determined only after due consultation with the workers. The government must ensure expedited implementation of the Code on Wages Bill," the recommendation says.

The Committee has also urged the Ministry of Commerce to prepare a database of plantation workers at the earliest for extending welfare facilities to the targeted beneficiaries through government schemes or Direct Benefit Transfer.

It has also asked the government to ensure speedy implementation of Occupational Safety. Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.

"The Ministry of Commerce to undertake strong and vigilant measures to counter the import of low quality and cheap tea from neighbouring countries (especially Nepal)," the panel has said, further stating that the Ministry of Commerce should settle the outstanding subsidies of beneficiaries who had been accorded an NOC for completion of bonafied tea development activities.

" Small Tea Growers (STG) to be provided with a level playing field, and STGs to be brought under the promotional schemes of tea board," it adds.

Among the other recommendations include agricultural schemes of the central government such as the Pradhan Krishi Sinchai Yojana, for teaworkers, financial revival mechanism to the Darjeeling tea sector, assistance to modernize and mechanize the tea industry in North Bengal, and empowerment of women workers.

"The tea industry is the main source of income and employment for a majority of the people from our Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region.

These recommendations are important tools that we can now use for ensuring these rights for our brothers and sisters in the Tea Gardens, as well as Cinchona Gardens," Mr Bista said.