Ahead of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Siliguri, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has called for her intervention in resolving the ongoing bonus dispute in Darjeeling tea plantations, under the jurisdiction of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
According to official sources, CM Banerjee will arrive at Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat for north Bengal, tomorrow to hold an administrative meeting on flood-related issues and other matters. She is expected to return to Kolkata on Monday.
GTA chief executive Anit Thapa has already written to labour minister Moloy Ghatak, urging him to ensure that tea workers receive a 20 per cent bonus. For several days, tea workers in the GTA region have been agitating for this demand. Despite three tripartite meetings called by the labour department, planters have only offered a 13 per cent bonus. Another reconciliation meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.
The Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) has announced a 16 per cent bonus for tea workers in stable tea gardens across the Terai and Dooars regions.
In a letter to CM Banerjee, MP Raju Bista urged her to take swift action, stating, “A simple notification from your office or the labour department could resolve the impasse and ensure workers receive their rightful bonus.” He warned that failure to address the situation could lead to “massive public disorder and a disturbance of peace in the region.”
Bista also highlighted the broader issue, stating, “In recent years, securing a fair bonus has become increasingly difficult for tea workers. Despite the passage of the four new labour codes by the Parliament, which promise better wages and conditions, the West Bengal government has yet to implement them. This delay has left tea and cinchona garden workers among the lowest-paid in the country. Moreover, the state has not enforced the Minimum Wages Act in tea gardens, leaving skilled workers earning less than unskilled laborers.”