Alipurduar: Housing initiative hits mason shortage, price hikes

The state government has disbursed the initial installment of Rs 60,000 for house construction into the bank accounts of tea garden workers in Alipurduar district. However, progress has been slow due to a scarcity of masons in the area. Additionally, a certain group of sand and stone traders has taken advantage of the situation by raising the prices suddenly.

During a government distribution programme on December 10 at the Parade Ground in Alipurduar, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally handed over land Patta to 7,000 tea plantation workers. Going a step further, she declared that each tea worker in every tea garden would receive Rs 1 lakh 20 thousand for housing, extending the scheme from the existing Cha Sundari initiative.

Currently, work has commenced in a few tea gardens in Alipurduar district, but concerns arise about potential crises if more than 150 tea gardens in the two districts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar begin construction simultaneously. In the Majherdabri Tea Plantation in Alipurduar district alone, over 800 workers will get money to construct houses, with more than 200 families receiving the first installment in the initial phase. Lakshmi Lohara, a tea garden worker, shared: “Money was deposited into our bank accounts, but I couldn’t find a mason for the last ten days. I finally found one on Monday, and the work has now begun. However, many are still struggling to find masons.”

Rajani Gope, another plantation worker, expressed concern, saying: “We have Rs 1,20,000 in our hands, but the sudden increase in the price of sand and stone is problematic. Masons are demanding higher wages.” Many tea garden workers have taken on the task of building their houses themselves, leading to increased absenteeism in garden work, as reported by garden authorities.

Workers complained that the price of one trolley of sand, previously Rs 3,200, has risen to Rs 3,500. Additionally, the price of stone has increased to Rs 500. R Vimala, District Magistrate of Alipurduar, assured: “We are looking into the matter. The administration will maintain strict vigilance to ensure that the prices of sand and stone do not increase further.”