Jalpaiguri: In a significant pre-election initiative, the state government is set to introduce the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme for tea garden workers across North Bengal, potentially covering more than 300 tea estates in the Hills, Terai and Dooars.
The announcement was made on Thursday by John Barla, Vice-Chairman of the West Bengal Minorities Commission and former MP, at his residence in Lakshmipara Tea Garden in Binnaguri. Barla said the ESI health insurance scheme would soon be extended to tea workers to improve access to medical facilities. He added that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to make a formal announcement shortly.
If implemented alongside the state’s Swasthya Sathi scheme, tea workers and their families would gain access to treatment at major hospitals and nursing homes.
Barla recalled that during his tenure as Union Minister of State and member of the ESI Board, repeated demands to extend ESI coverage to the tea industry did not materialise. “Now, the Chief Minister is set to formally announce this health insurance scheme for the tea sector,” he said.
Barla further claimed that trade unions affiliated with the TMC, Left parties, BJP and Congress had not recently pressed strongly for ESI implementation, and that many workers remain unaware of its benefits. “Once announced, the ESI scheme will strengthen the Trinamool’s position in North Bengal’s tea industry,” he asserted.
With Assembly elections approaching, the proposed rollout is being viewed as a politically significant move in North Bengal’s tea belt, where several constituencies hold considerable electoral importance.