TMC MP Criticizes Centre’s Tea Garden Creches in North Bengal as “Non-Functional

Speedy Summary:

• Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee raised concerns in the Rajya Sabha over claims by the Union Government about functioning creches in tea gardens managed by Andrew Yule adn Company, a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of heavy industries.
• The Minister of Heavy Industries responded with a list of five operational creches in Karbala, New Dooars, Banarhat, and Choonabhutti tea gardens.
• Mr. Banerjee stated that following a survey among workers before Parliament’s Monsoon Session, non-functional creches were among their major concerns.
• Members of TMC’s Tea Garden Workers Union visited these listed creches and reported them as non-operational or unsuitable for use, some resembling cattle sheds rather than facilities for human use. Videos taken on-site support these claims.
• The West Bengal government has proposed building new creches for tea garden workers but requires clearance from Union authorities to proceed.
• Additional issues faced by tea garden workers include irregular wage payments and lack of provident funds.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
The issue highlights notable discrepancies between centrally reported data on welfare infrastructure at tea gardens and ground reality as observed by local representatives and unions. If verified, such lapses could undermine employee trust in governmental oversight while raising questions about accountability within public sector enterprises like Andrew Yule & Co.

Tea gardens are historically critical to India’s socio-economic fabric; failure to address fundamental worker needs-such as child care facilities-may exacerbate existing labor challenges within this industry already grappling with irregular wage payments and provident fund shortcomings.the contrasting approaches between state (West Bengal) initiatives versus central management underscore gaps in collaboration that could hinder holistic advancement for vulnerable worker communities if left unaddressed.

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