Kolkata: The poor condition of the tea industry, closed plantations, dissatisfaction over socio-economic conditions and stagnant wages of plantation workers may emerge as major issues for both TMC and BJP in the upcoming elections on the four Lok Sabha seats in the northern part. West Bengal.
Ahead of the general elections, the atmosphere is heated with allegations and promises being made between political parties, which is echoing in more than 300 tea gardens spread across Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai regions.
Although tea gardens are considered India's second largest employer, industry stakeholders say the plight of estate workers, whose votes are crucial for all parties, is a major election issue. Former Tea Board Chairman P K Bezbarua Said that the sector is suffering from the double blow of rising production costs and low prices in auctions.This may jeopardize the business of the plantation owners and the livelihood of 4.5 lakh tea garden workers, but the political parties have got an opportunity to woo them with promises.
"Employees will vote against the negligence that they have been enduring, with neither the BJP nor the TMC government at the Center giving them relief from the deteriorating ration system and deteriorating medical facilities," said the Joint Forum of Trade Unions convenor and general secretary of CITU. Helped in getting rid of it. Te Udyog) Zia-ul-Alam said. According to Mani Kumar Darnal, leader of INTUC in the Dooars region of North Bengal, the closed plantations of SAI "are not reopening, while huge defaults in statutory payments like PF and gratuity have led to the loss of workers. It has created resentment among the people."
According to estimates by the Tea Association of India (TAI), a body of plantation owners, there are about 12 closed plantations in North Bengal.Darnall alleged that the Tea Board, under the Union Commerce Ministry, had stopped giving subsidies to the industry eight years ago, adding that this could be a major issue in the elections. Trinamool Congress-affiliated INTTUC leader Nakul Sonar similarly Expressed his views.
Sonar alleged, "The public representatives who went to Parliament on BJP ticket did nothing for the development of tea gardens."
BJP wrested Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituencies from TMC in the 2019 elections and retained the Darjeeling seat. Rejecting TMC's allegation, BJP MLA Manoj Tigga, contesting from Alipurduar, claimed that the crisis among workers "It's because of the state government, which is blocking the Centre's welfare schemes".
The BJP MLA alleged, “The state administration is providing funds from the Centre’s housing scheme but is promoting it as state aid.They, along with the gardeners, are depriving the garden workers of various benefits."
With the production level in the country crossing more than 1350 million kg per annum, the stagnant growth in domestic consumption coupled with declining export markets is creating panic among tea planters and workers who are demanding intervention from the Central and State governments. Bezbarua said, "Everyone is incurring losses. Wages are increasing and prices are not improving. The situation is not good.If wages increase further, the plantation will have no option but to close down."
Bijoy Gopa Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Producers Associations, said the financial assistance under the Tea Development and Promotion Scheme has increased by 82 per cent from Rs 290.81 crore to Rs 528.97 crore for the financial years 2024-24 and 2025-26, but The industry needs "concrete". "Government intervention to overcome recession".
Being a labour-intensive industry, wages comprise about 60 per cent of the total cost of production and any additional increase will have far-reaching consequences. TAI said wages in West Bengal have increased by 9.28 per cent during the period 2014 to 2023 and Auction prices in North India have increased by only 2.90 percent.The current level of minimum wage for tea workers in West Bengal is Rs 250 which is paid in cash along with other benefits like education, health, ratio and housing.
However, CITU leader Alam said that migration of tea garden workers from West Bengal to the southern states and increasing absenteeism in the estates has become a regular affair, and such a situation has arisen "due to non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act". Said that the effort by the West Bengal government to give financial assistance to tea garden workers to build houses and provide them land leases under the 'Cha Sundari' scheme will give political mileage to TMC.
Alam said, "Government efforts to change the nature of the land will only promote monetization of the resources and promote tourism in the tea gardens and will not provide any benefit to the workers."
Following TMC's electoral defeat in the tea-growing region and entire North Bengal in 2019, the party tried to regain lost ground by working on issues related to land rights and workers' livelihoods, which may have helped the ruling party in the 2021 assembly elections. Performed well.Political analyst Subhomoy Maitra said, "TMC's performance is likely to be better this time compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections."
Sonar also claimed that the Chief Minister "effectively intervened to temporarily resolve the crisis" arising out of the procured leaf factories' decision to purchase only green leaves that met the compliance standards of the food safety regulator.
Ahead of the general elections, the atmosphere is heated with allegations and promises being made between political parties, which is echoing in more than 300 tea gardens spread across Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai regions.
Although tea gardens are considered India's second largest employer, industry stakeholders say the plight of estate workers, whose votes are crucial for all parties, is a major election issue. Former Tea Board Chairman P K Bezbarua Said that the sector is suffering from the double blow of rising production costs and low prices in auctions.This may jeopardize the business of the plantation owners and the livelihood of 4.5 lakh tea garden workers, but the political parties have got an opportunity to woo them with promises.
"Employees will vote against the negligence that they have been enduring, with neither the BJP nor the TMC government at the Center giving them relief from the deteriorating ration system and deteriorating medical facilities," said the Joint Forum of Trade Unions convenor and general secretary of CITU. Helped in getting rid of it. Te Udyog) Zia-ul-Alam said. According to Mani Kumar Darnal, leader of INTUC in the Dooars region of North Bengal, the closed plantations of SAI "are not reopening, while huge defaults in statutory payments like PF and gratuity have led to the loss of workers. It has created resentment among the people."
According to estimates by the Tea Association of India (TAI), a body of plantation owners, there are about 12 closed plantations in North Bengal.Darnall alleged that the Tea Board, under the Union Commerce Ministry, had stopped giving subsidies to the industry eight years ago, adding that this could be a major issue in the elections. Trinamool Congress-affiliated INTTUC leader Nakul Sonar similarly Expressed his views.
Sonar alleged, "The public representatives who went to Parliament on BJP ticket did nothing for the development of tea gardens."
BJP wrested Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituencies from TMC in the 2019 elections and retained the Darjeeling seat. Rejecting TMC's allegation, BJP MLA Manoj Tigga, contesting from Alipurduar, claimed that the crisis among workers "It's because of the state government, which is blocking the Centre's welfare schemes".
The BJP MLA alleged, “The state administration is providing funds from the Centre’s housing scheme but is promoting it as state aid.They, along with the gardeners, are depriving the garden workers of various benefits."
With the production level in the country crossing more than 1350 million kg per annum, the stagnant growth in domestic consumption coupled with declining export markets is creating panic among tea planters and workers who are demanding intervention from the Central and State governments. Bezbarua said, "Everyone is incurring losses. Wages are increasing and prices are not improving. The situation is not good.If wages increase further, the plantation will have no option but to close down."
Bijoy Gopa Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Producers Associations, said the financial assistance under the Tea Development and Promotion Scheme has increased by 82 per cent from Rs 290.81 crore to Rs 528.97 crore for the financial years 2024-24 and 2025-26, but The industry needs "concrete". "Government intervention to overcome recession".
Being a labour-intensive industry, wages comprise about 60 per cent of the total cost of production and any additional increase will have far-reaching consequences. TAI said wages in West Bengal have increased by 9.28 per cent during the period 2014 to 2023 and Auction prices in North India have increased by only 2.90 percent.The current level of minimum wage for tea workers in West Bengal is Rs 250 which is paid in cash along with other benefits like education, health, ratio and housing.
However, CITU leader Alam said that migration of tea garden workers from West Bengal to the southern states and increasing absenteeism in the estates has become a regular affair, and such a situation has arisen "due to non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act". Said that the effort by the West Bengal government to give financial assistance to tea garden workers to build houses and provide them land leases under the 'Cha Sundari' scheme will give political mileage to TMC.
Alam said, "Government efforts to change the nature of the land will only promote monetization of the resources and promote tourism in the tea gardens and will not provide any benefit to the workers."
Following TMC's electoral defeat in the tea-growing region and entire North Bengal in 2019, the party tried to regain lost ground by working on issues related to land rights and workers' livelihoods, which may have helped the ruling party in the 2021 assembly elections. Performed well.Political analyst Subhomoy Maitra said, "TMC's performance is likely to be better this time compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections."
Sonar also claimed that the Chief Minister "effectively intervened to temporarily resolve the crisis" arising out of the procured leaf factories' decision to purchase only green leaves that met the compliance standards of the food safety regulator.
