Tea garden workers protest mandatory UMANG App for PF verification, call move ‘impractical’

Alipurduar: Panic has gripped the tea gardens of North Bengal and parts of Assam following a new directive from the Central government’s Provident Fund (PF) department. As per the order, effective August 1, all PF subscribers must download the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) App, complete facial verification and activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) through the App. Failure to comply will lead to deactivation of PF accounts.

The directive has triggered widespread protests from tea garden workers, trade unions and even estate owners. The Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union and other unions have criticised the move, calling it impractical and insensitive to ground realities.

Robin Rai, General Secretary of Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union, said: “We will soon write to the Chief Central PF Commissioner demanding withdrawal of this directive. If this directive is not withdrawn immediately, a massive agitation will be launched. We are also writing to INTTUC state president Ritabrata Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik. Over 90 per cent of tea garden workers cannot use smartphones properly. How can they be expected to operate a specific App?”

Industry insiders say most workers in the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts do not own smartphones and those who do often use low-end models that cannot support the app. Poor internet connectivity in over 50 remote tea gardens further complicates matters.

Employers are also alarmed. Ram Avtar Sharma, Secretary of the Dooars branch of the Indian Tea Planters’ Association (ITPA), said: “The decision does not reflect the ground realities. The earlier system of manual PF submissions should continue alongside UMANG for a transitional period. Otherwise, both workers and owners will suffer.”

Rajya Sabha MP and former tea garden worker Prakash Chik Baraik also slammed the directive. “This order was issued without consulting key stakeholders. The PF department has failed to recognise that the tea industry is not the same as other organised sectors.”