The BJP government of Bengal will implement the Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojna (PMCSPY), a central government scheme launched two years ago for tea garden workers, especially women and children, in the north Bengal tea industry.
On Tuesday, north Bengal development minister Nisith Pramanik held a meeting with elected legislators of the tea-producing districts to draw up plans for the implementation of the scheme. Representatives of the Tea Board were also present at the meeting at Uttarkanya, the state’s branch secretariat in Siliguri.
Raju Bista, the BJP MP of Darjeeling, said that the state was likely to get around ₹313 crore under the scheme for the welfare of more than three lakh workers serving in 300-odd tea estates in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.
“Around two years ago, the Centre launched PMCSPY for the tea workers of Assam and Bengal. Around ₹600 crore was spent on the tea workers of Assam, but the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government in Bengal took no initiative to spend the money for the tea workers of this state,” said the MP.
Bista said that after assuming charge as the chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari decided to implement the scheme in the state. The north Bengal development department will act as the nodal department for the implementation of the scheme, he added.
“The lawmakers of these three districts have been asked to submit their suggestions on how to implement the scheme within the next three days. In due course, a comprehensive plan would be drawn up and would be sent to the Centre,” the MP said.
Addressing the media, Bista said around 30 tea estates in the state are closed at present, and 100 others are sick. The state, he said, will also work for the implementation of the labour codes in the brew belt.
“The government has formed a committee to work out the modalities for the implementation of the new labour codes at the earliest so that tea workers can get dignified wages and better living and working conditions. The state labour department has been told to actively address the concerns of the workers, especially pertaining to wages, provident fund and other statutory rights.
At the meeting, discussions were also held as to how the Tea Board can help with the revival of the Darjeeling Tea industry.
“Officials of the Tea Board have been asked to strictly enforce the geographical indication (GI) protection and mandatory certificate of origin (CoO) to stop the sale of other teas as Darjeeling Tea,” he said.
Auction house
Darjeeling MLA Noman Rai has proposed the establishment of an exclusive Darjeeling Tea auction house in Calcutta, a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to the trading, promotion, protection and sustainable development of the authentic Darjeeling Tea.
“Darjeeling Tea is facing unprecedented challenges because of ageing tea bushes, declining productivity, climate change, rising production costs, financial stress in tea gardens, and the growing threat of counterfeit Darjeeling Tea in international markets,” said Rai.
The tea sector in the hills, he said, is the economic backbone of our hills and the livelihood of thousands of workers and their families.
“We must create a sustainable mechanism that improves tea prices and also reinvest in the future of our tea gardens,” the MLA added.
He also proposed the introduction of a development levy on auction turnover and the creation of a permanent Darjeeling Tea development fund.
The fund, he said, can be used for replantation and rejuvenation of ageing tea bushes, revival and modernisation of stressed tea gardens, workers’ welfare, housing, healthcare, and skill development and for other purposes.
Additional reporting by Vivek Chhetri in Darjeeling