‘Budget 2023-24 has no mention of tea gardens’

BANARHAT: Joining the ongoing agitation led by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supported tea workers’ union on its 8th day, INTTUC state president Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay on Friday said the phrase ‘tea garden’ didn’t find any mention in the Budget 2023-24.

“The word tea garden has not been mentioned even once in this Budget. Package of about Rs 1000 crore was announced in the last Budget for tea garden workers, but not even a single penny has been given to them. The Central government has announced to take over the closed tea gardens of Duncan Group. But, they did nothing,” he added. He added that the Chief Minister has taken initiative to open the tea gardens.

“Tea Board is not giving stipend to students for the past four years. The workers are sitting outside the houses of BJP ministers and MPs. They want to know what the Central government is doing to solve the problems of tea workers,”he said.

The leader joined the protest staged outside the house of Union minister John Barla and MLA Manoj Tigga. The protest is being held under the banner of INTTUC affiliated tea workers’ organisation ‘Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union’. It was launched outside the houses of BJP MPs and MLAs on January 27. The agitators have been demanding to extend the retirement age of tea workers from 58 to 60 years. They also want the Central government to take necessary action to prevent corruption in the Provident Fund (PF) office. The agitation will continue till February 5, after which the Central committee of the labor organisation will hold a meeting to decide the outline of their next movement.