Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is planning to review the implementation aspect of state-sponsored development work and the present status of those projects in three districts of north Bengal.

Sources said that Miss Banerjee is scheduled to arrive in Siliguri on 9 July and hold a series of meetings with administrative officials at Uttarkanya, a government’s branch secretariat.

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She is scheduled to leave for Kolkata on 13 July. She will hold administrative meetings with officials of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar separately, sources said on Thursday. Miss Banerjee, who will camp at Uttarkanya, will meet Jalpaiguri administrative officials on 9 July.

Official sources said she would visit only Changrabandha under the Mekhliganj sub-division in Cooch Behar district on 10 July.

The meeting with Alipurduar district administration officials has been scheduled for 11 July, while another meeting with members of the Tea Advisory Committee has been scheduled to be held on 12 July at Uttarkanya, the sources said.

Administrative officials are now updating the progress reports on all important projects, including some special projects conceived by the CM, it is learnt. “The CM will also hold a special review meeting with members of the Tea Advisory Committee to take stock of the present situation of tea plantations in the Terai, the Dooars and the Hills,” the sources said.

It may be noted here that despite the interim hike in wages of tea workers and also sub-staff and staff in tea gardens, the rural election results in the tea belt was not up to the mark for the ruling party.

Also, a large number of trade unions under the Joint Forum are a warpath, criticizing the state government on various issues, including non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, and other benefits, including food grain through the public distribution system.

The Trinamul Congress leadership is also in deep trouble, having failed to handle some tea plantations, especially owned by the Duncans group in the Dooars. Trinamul Congress leader Mohan Sharma, who is a member of the Tea Advisory Committee, also expressed unhappiness over the present state of affairs at tea gardens owned by Duncans.

Notably, the Cha Bhagan Trinamul Congress Mazdoor Union (CBTCMU) has set a deadline and asked the state labour department to take action.

Political sources said that the Duncans authorities will hold a meeting with government officials in Kolkata on 7 July. The state labour department may hold a tripartite meeting in Kolkata on 9 July to resolve the problem.

“We are worried about tea gardens owned by the Duncans group. We are also demanding that the state labour department interfere if any owner sells tea estates to others,” senior vice-president of the CBTCMU, Bablu Mukherjee, said.

“Virtually, tea workers have become victims and they are deprived of their legitimate claims like provident fund, gratuity and other financial benefits after the garden is handed over to others. New owners do not take the responsibility of workers’ pending dues. We are demanding amendment to the Plantation Labour Act and Industrial Disputes Act to involve the labour department during change of ownership in a tea plantation,” he added.

Notably, a group of angry workers entered the conference hall of Uttarkanya, during a meeting yesterday, and asked the labour commissioner to take appropriate steps against Duncans