Bengal govt aid scheme for closed tea gardens

Siliguri, Apr 6: West Bengal government's announcement of special allotment for the closed tea gardens in North Bengal created a mixed reaction.

The workers of closed tea gardens mainly in Jalpaiguri district said that they were not in the aid scheme until the promise was implemented on ground level. They would be benefitted, while the promises could fulfil their needs in real ground.

Two days ago, West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta declared a special grant of Rs. 16 crore to provide support to the closed tea gardens of this part of Bengal. Since a long time tea garden industry had been passing under critical condition. About 14 tea gardens in Dooars were still closed for past four years with more than 78,000 workers rendered jobless for indefinitely period.

The finance minister announcement also had warned punitive action against the tea garden owners, who abandoned the gardens. He said the state government would soon, in association with the provident fund department, take action against the faulty planters, who fled from the garden leaving crores of ruppes of PF dues.

The Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers' convenor .

Chitta Dey has welcomed the initiativesm of the government.

But he has also cautioned that the scheme would not flourish the normal life of the worker unless the administration was strict to to implement the scheme.

UNI