Cha Sundari scheme: 501 tea garden workers get pattas

Raiganj: The officials of Panchayat & Rural Development department distributed Pattas (land documents) among 501 tea workers in Dubaijhora Tea Garden in Chopra in North Dinajpur district. The workers will be given Rs 1 lakh 20 thousand each for the construction of their houses under the “Cha Sundari” scheme.

Samir Mandal, BDO Chopra said: “The workers have been given Rs 60,000 each as the first installment to build the house. The rest of the amount will be given in two phases of Rs 40,000 and Rs 20,000 after the submission of the utilisation certificates of the previous amount.”

Subimal Chakraborty, Block Land & Land Reforms Officer of Chopra said: “Pattas have been given to 501 tea workers in Chopra. All of them are landless. We initiated a move to identify other landless tea workers to bring them under the scheme.”

The workers expressed gratitude. Alexandar Orao, a tea worker of Debijhora Tea Garden said: “We have no land or house. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always been sympathetic to the plight of the tea garden workers. The Chai Sundari project is a blessing for us. We thank our Chief Minister for this.”

Sabita Baraik, another beneficiary, said: “This has been our long standing demand. The past governments had turned a blind eye to our plight.”

Hamidul Rahaman, MLA Chopra said: “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee always keeps her promise. Tea workers have realised this. This is for the first time that the Chai Sundari project is being implemented in Chopra. Other landless tea workers of our district will be brought under this project soon.” Tea gardens are concentrated in the Islampur and Chopra blocks of North Dinajpur district. There are around 36 tea estates in the district and around 300 small tea growers employing a workforce of around 20,0000 in the district.