‘Khelab Maiya’ organised to address issues faced by tea garden residents

Alipurduar: District Magistrate R Vimala and Superintendent of Police Y Raghuvamshi, along with district officials, participated in the ‘Khelab Maiya’ programme at Panchbir Hindi High School ground in Central Dooars Tea Garden, Kalchini, near the India-Bhutan border on Sunday. The initiative aimed to address issues faced by women and children in the tea garden community.

During the event, senior officials interacted with residents, played games with tea garden workers and children and listened to local concerns. The District Magistrate assured quick solutions for several minor issues raised.

Shubhanti Chik Baraik, head of the local Chuapara Gram Panchayat, expressed gratitude, stating: “For the first time since independence, both the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police have visited our tea garden together. This is also the first time such an initiative has taken place here. We are happy that we can voice our concerns directly to the administration in our own village.” Among the concerns raised, women from the village highlighted issues such as high electricity bills and drinking water shortages. The District Magistrate engaged with locals for nearly two hours, assuring swift action. Officials from the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Public Works Department (PWD) were also present to assess and address infrastructure concerns.

District Magistrate R Vimala stated: “So far this year, eight ‘Khelab Maiya’ programmes have been conducted. Our goal is to visit every tea garden in Alipurduar district and engage with residents directly. PHE will resolve the water supply issues and we will coordinate with the concerned department regarding electricity bills. The enthusiasm of the people at today’s event was remarkable.”

The programme also included awareness campaigns on various state government welfare schemes such as Kanyashree, Lakshmi Bhandar and Sasthya Sathi. More than 400 children and their mothers participated in simple games, with prizes distributed to encourage engagement.