State govt has destroyed tea gardens, handing land over to promoters: Suvendu Adhikari

While All India Trinamul Congress general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, addressing an political rally in Alipurduar yesterday, claimed that his party had resolved tea garden issues in the interests of workers, the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari today said: “Trinamul Congress led state government has destroyed tea plantations by handing land over to promoters.”

Significantly, while Mr Adhikari was addressing an election rally for Panchayat Polls in Alipurduar today, Mr Banerjee was addressing a public meeting at Sujapur in Malda district in North Bengal region.

Mr Adhikari said: “Trinamul has done nothing for the development of tea garden for workers. It has destroyed tea plantations and handed tea gardens’ land over to promoters. Though the state government has introduced housing project named Cha Sundari for tea workers, it was implemented diverting Central funds meant for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojona. We have to drive out the thieves.”

Mr Adhikari, however, ignored the hike in daily wages for tea workers from Rs 67 to Rs 232 a day in the last 11 years of the Trinamul regime.