Trinamul Congress talks schemes to woo tea belt

Since 2011, this is the first time that Mamata Banerjee’s party held such an event exclusively for the population of the brew belt

Trinamul leaders at the meeting in Jalpaiguri on Saturday. : Biplab Basak

TT Correspondent   |   Jalpaiguri   |  11.09.22  : Senior Trinamul leaders including state ministers Moloy Ghatak and Bulu Chik Baraik on Saturday apprised the tea population of north Bengal on the development initiatives taken up by the Mamata Banerjee government for them while attacking the Centre for alleged apathy.

At the first central meeting of Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU), the tea trade union affiliated to INTTUC, the workers’ front of Trinamul, the leaders also set the stage for the party’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee who will address tea workers and their kin on Sunday.

Since 2011, this is the first time that Mamata Banerjee’s party held such an event exclusively for the population of the brew belt, an area where the BJP, the RSS and its frontal outfits like Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, have made inroads. 

Also, trade union leaders said that since Trinamul was voted to power, at least five trade unions mushroomed in the party’s name, making consolidation of support tough.

“Leaders of all these unions claimed they enjoy the support of INTTUC. Hence, support was fragmented. This is one of the major reasons that deterred Trinamul from winning seats,” said a senior trade union leader.

In last year’s Assembly polls, Trinamul could win only Malbazar and Chopra in the tea belt. In north Bengal, there are 12 Assembly seats where tea workers decide poll results.

According to insiders, the party recast its focus on the tea population ahead of the 2023 rural polls. “The party has started the process to run only one trade union (TCBSU) in the tea belt. We are also  highlighting welfare schemes for tea workers and their families by the state government and pointing out that the BJP has done nothing for them,” said a leader in Jalpaiguri.

Ritabrata Banerjee, the state INTTUC chief, said: “The Centre sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore for the tea population of Bengal and Assam in last year’s budget. Not a paisa has been sent to the residents of our state so far.”  Central ministers and legislators have time and again promised to take over and facilitate reopening of closed tea estates. They could not open a single tea garden. Instead, the state government found new investors and a number of gardens have reopened,” said Banerjee.

Moloy Ghatak, the state labour minister, underscored the welfare schemes introduced in tea gardens.“Our government has launched the first-of-its-kind free housing scheme (Cha Sundari) for the tea workers. The workers are getting deeds of their houses. Also, free ration is given to them. Those in closed gardens are receiving monthly financial assistance,” said the minister.