West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari flags wage crisis, land rights issue in Bengal Tea Gardens

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 7 : Leader of Opposition of West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has alleged there is a 'wage crisis' faced by tea garden workers. He also alleged denial of land rights of the planters, and several administrative irregularities in the state.
Adhikari alleged on Tuesday that the tea planters are not getting their wages, and said BJP MP from Alipurduars, Manoj Tigga has written a letter to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
He added that the state's labour ministry or the Chief Minister has auctioned 25 per cent of the tea gardens' land to build restaurants and bars.
According to an official statement from the party, in Alipurduar district, Madhu tea garden, Bharnobari tea garden, Lankapara tea garden, Ramjhora tea garden, Chamurchi tea garden, Ambari tea garden, Debpara tea garden, Red Bank tea garden, Raipur tea garden, Kalchini tea garden, Hantapara tea garden, Mogalkata tea garden, Dumchipara tea garden, Garganda tea garden, Tulsipara tea garden, Birpara tea garden, Dimdima Tea garden and Bandapani tea garden; the situation of these tea gardens is 'very critical'
In Jalpaiguri district, Kilkote tea garden, Bagrakote tea garden, Manabari tea garden, Nageshwari tea garden, Samsing tea garden, Bamandanga tea garden, Dharanipur tea garden and Totapara tea garden; in these tea gardens, wages to the workers have not been paid for more than 5 months, the statement read.
He further alleged that the Trinamool government is planning to destroy the tea industry by permitting 15 to 30 per cent of tea garden land to be used for commercial purposes.
Adhikari also pointed out that under the Forest Rights Act of 2006, tea garden workers are entitled to land rights, but the West Bengal government has failed to implement this law. He claimed that West Bengal is the only state where the Forest Rights Act is not being implemented. He further alleged that workers' rights are being curtailed through lease or tenancy arrangements.
The BJP leader has further claimed that many tea garden workers face the risk of having their names deleted from the voter list due to the absence of birth certificates or educational certificates, amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state. Referring to the situation in various tea garden areas of Darjeeling and North Bengal, he said that Member of Parliament Raju Bista has submitted a written representation on this issue. The BJP has demanded that documents issued under the Forest Rights Act be accepted as valid documents for the SIR process, so that not a single tea garden worker is excluded from the voter list. He expressed hope that the Election Commission would accept this reasonable demand.
Adhikari further stated that between 2014 and 2024, the number of voters in the state increased by approximately 12.4 million, which indicates significant demographic changes. For this reason, he supports the SIR process in the interest of maintaining a transparent voter list. At the same time, he has alleged that attempts are being made to insert fake names into the voter list by illegally issuing domicile, birth, and other certificates.
Highlighting administrative irregularities, Adhikari said that a letter from the UPSC has clearly pointed out violations of rules in senior administrative appointments in the state. "Senior officers are being deprived while junior officers are being appointed to key positions, and administrative protection is allegedly being extended for illegal activities," the statement read.
Adhikari said if there is any deliberate attempt to retain fake or deceased voters in the electoral rolls, the BJP will pursue legal action and, if necessary, approach the Supreme Court. He reaffirmed that the party's struggle is not about politics over tea garden workers, but about safeguarding their rightful entitlements and democratic rights.