ALIPURDUAR: It was a late Christmas for the residents of Church Line of Subhashini Tea Estate in the Alipurduar district.
Deviating from her official schedule, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday distributed warm clothes among the workers and chocolates among the children. With this kind gesture, she was successful in spreading warmth and smiles on a cold, misty afternoon in the tea estate.
On a 3-day visit to the Alipurduar district, Banerjee arrived at the Hashimara Air Force base on Tuesday afternoon. From here she was scheduled to head straight for Malangi Forest Bungalow in Jaldapara, where she is putting up. Suddenly the Chief Minister’s convoy along with TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee headed in the opposite direction. Deviating from National Highway 31-C the convoy stopped at the Church Line of Subhashini tea garden.
The workers were dumbfounded seeing the Chief Minister distribute warm clothes and chocolates.
“Our life is difficult. It is hard for us to make two ends meet. However, I will always remember the kind gesture of the Chief Minister. She came to our doorsteps with the gifts. She won our hearts,” stated tea garden worker Surjamoni Oraon.
The Chief Minister enquired about problems faced by the workers along with issues that need to be resolved. She asked the district administration to jot down the complaints and take prompt action.
She interacted with the children and asked about their health and studies. “Earlier it was Duarey Sarkar. Now the Chief Minister is at our doorstep. We can’t believe our eyes,” stated Anand Khariya, a resident of the tea estate.
On Wednesday at around 10 am the Trinamool supremo will fly to Meghalaya from Hashimara for an election campaign. She is scheduled to return from Meghalaya at around 4 pm on the same day and will be heading straight for Malangi Forest Bungalow.
On January 19, the Chief Minister will attend a Government programme at the Subhasini tea garden Maidan at around 10 am. Different welfare schemes will be handed over to beneficiaries who are residents of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. She is scheduled to inaugurate several projects and will lay the foundation stones for other projects. From there she will depart for Kolkata.