Talwar talks to journalists at the district collectorate in Jalpaiguri. Picture by Biplab Basak

Siliguri, Jan. 8: The adviser to the Supreme Court-appointed right-to-food commissioner, Anuradha Talwar, today came down heavily on the Tea Board for not starting an extra 100 days’ work scheme at Kanthalguri and Ramjhora gardens.

The decision to allot more work under the scheme, apart from the existing relief programmes for closed estates, was taken in August.

Talwar, who is on a two-day visit to Jalpaiguri district, said: “Tea Board officials had promised to chalk out a pilot project offering extra 100 days work apart from the existing NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) in Kanthalguri and Ramjhora estates.”

“Considering the pathetic condition of the plantations —the workers cannot even salvage the tealeaves to sell them to other estates — we had forwarded the proposal. Board officials had readily agreed but even after six months, the scheme has not been launched in these two gardens,” she added.

In the morning, Talwar had met R. Ranjit, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, accompanied by representatives of workers of the 13 gardens lying closed over years and four estates — namely, Kadombini, Manabari, Makrapara and Mujnai — that shut down recently.

Ranjit said he could do little for the newly closed gardens, as they have not yet been declared locked out or shut.

“However, the administration has agreed to give 14kg of foodgrain and Rs 60 per head to the residents of these recently closed estates every month,” said Talwar.

The adviser also took up the allegation that garden workers were not being covered by the NREGS.

“The district magistrate said Rs 10 lakh has already been sent to each of the panchayats located near the closed tea gardens. He assured us that tasks compatible with the area would be taken up to provide employment under the scheme.”

Talawar will visit the brew belt on January 24 to check if the proposals discussed today have been implemented.