Ritabrata Banerjee, the Rajya Sabha member of the Trinamool Congress, on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of making hollow promises to the tea population of Bengal.

Banerjee, who spoke at the Upper House on the Union budget tabled by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, said: “In 2016, the central government had come up with a gazette notification that it will take over seven tea estates in north Bengal. However, it did not take over a single tea estate, and instead, the Mamata Banerjee government in the state took the initiative to reopen these tea gardens.”

Banerjee was referring to the Centre’s plan to acquire some of the tea estates abandoned by the Duncans Group.

In his speech, the Trinamool lawmaker tried to drive home the point that the BJP has come up with empty promises just ahead of the Assembly elections of Bengal simply to draw votes from the brew belt. In north Bengal, the results of around 11 Assembly constituencies depend on the support of the
tea population.

During the last Assembly elections and even in the Lok Sabha polls, the saffron camp managed to win the support of a considerable portion of the tea workers and
their families.

“In the budget of 2021-22, that is, just ahead of the Assembly elections in Bengal, a sum of ₹1,000 crore was announced for the welfare of women and children who live in the tea estates of Bengal and Assam. We don’t know about Assam but in Bengal, not a penny has reached us for such a purpose from the central government so far,” Banerjee, who is also the state INTTUC president — the TMC’s workers’ front — said.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the MP also scoffed at the central government and said that these days, tea workers and their families in Bengal often discuss that next year (when Assembly polls would be held in Bengal again), some more promises would be made in the Union budget or some other manner.

Speaking to this newspaper, Banerjee said: “In 2026, people in the tea belt will not vote for BJP as they have realised that it is Mamata Banerjee who delivers.”

“We have started reviving our support (in the brew belt) as is evident from our wins in the Assembly bypolls in Madarihat and Dhupguri. This trend will continue because the BJP has done nothing for the tea workers and their families here,” Banerjee added over the phone from Delhi.