The BJP MPs and MLAs of north Bengal will soon hold a meeting with the chairman of the Tea Board of India as part of a bid to improve infrastructure on tea estates and living conditions of workers in the region.
After the meeting at Uttarkanya, the state’s branch secretariat in Siliguri, a delegation of the BJP lawmakers will visit Assam to study the tea industry management model there.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya told the media in Delhi on Thursday that the party wanted the north Bengal tea industry to develop along the lines of Assam.
“Whatever measures have been adopted by the Assam government to improve the lives of tea garden workers will be implemented in West Bengal,” he said.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, during his recent visit to Siliguri, had said that the “Assam model” would be followed to revamp the north Bengal tea industry.
He instructed BJP MLAs from the tea belt to visit Assam and study the policies and management systems introduced in the neighbouring state.
“There have been elaborate discussions within the party regarding the development of the tea sector in north Bengal. Accordingly, the delegation will visit Assam to examine the initiatives undertaken there for workers’ welfare and infrastructure development in tea gardens,” said a senior BJP MLA.
Sources in the tea industry said the Assam model focused on joint initiatives by both the central and state governments. One of its notable features is dual tea manufacturing, as most tea estates in Assam produce orthodox and green tea during specific periods of the year, while CTC tea is manufactured during the remaining months.
“As green tea and orthodox tea have strong demand in international markets, producers in Assam receive subsidies and financial assistance. However, such facilities are largely unavailable to tea gardens in the Dooars and the Terai, where most estates produce only CTC tea throughout the year,” said a tea planter.
Industry experts also highlighted that worker welfare remains a major focus of the Assam model.
Manoj Tigga, the BJP MP of Alipurduar, said the MPs from Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar, along with MLAs from tea garden-dominated areas, would meet the Tea Board chairman at Uttarkanya.
“During the meeting, it will be decided when the delegation will visit Assam,” said Tigga.
Stakeholders of the tea industry have welcomed the initiative.
“We appreciate the initiative taken by the state government. Improvement in the daily lives of tea garden workers is important. After their visit, we will also hold talks with them to know their recommendations,” said Chinmoy Dhar, a planter based in Alipurduar.