Wages in four tea gardens in north Bengal being delayed, admits Centre

The Rajya Sabha MP of the West Bengal‘s ruling party had raised questions on the delay in wages at Banarhat, Karballa, New Dooars, and Choonabhutti Tea Estates under Union government-controlled Andrew Yule & Company Limited. File
| Photo Credit: Shiv Sahay Singh

Wages of workers in four tea gardens of north Bengal, which are being administered by Public Service Undertaking (PSU) are being delayed by five to six weeks, the Ministry of Commerce said in the Parliament response to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee.

“Wages in respect of workers of tea estates are being paid on a weekly basis are being delayed by five to six weeks due to financial crisis in tea division of Andrew Yule and Company limited and the Company has taken efforts to regularise the wages by engagement with all stakeholders to increase productivity and quality to increase revenue,” Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasad replied on Friday (March 21, 2025).

Also read: Unions, Opposition in West Bengal to resist ‘diversion of tea garden land’

The Rajya Sabha MP of the West Bengal‘s ruling party had raised questions on the delay in wages at Banarhat, Karballa, New Dooars, and Choonabhutti Tea Estates under Union government-controlled Andrew Yule & Company Limited.

“The issue of wage delays in the tea gardens of North Bengal has been a long-standing concern, with repeated demands from trade unions and political leaders for better financial security and working conditions for labourers. Tea garden workers, who form the backbone of North Bengal’s economy, continue to suffer due to systemic neglect and financial mismanagement,” the Trinamool Congress said in a statement.

Unions demand withdrawal of Tea Tourism and Allied Business Policy 2025

Meanwhile, in north Bengal protests are continuing over the proposal of the State government plan to allocate 30% of tea garden land for tourism purposes, On March 20, several tea garden unions held a march to Uttar Kanya, the West Bengal government secretariat in North Bengal. The protests were organised by the United Forum of Adivasi Rights and Joint Action Committee. Kirsen Kharia, a prominent tea garden union leader said that along with demanding the scrapping of provision of 30% of tea garden land for non tourism purposes, the union wants workers to be given permanent land rights.

In a letter to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the United Forum of Adivasi Rights urged immediate withdrawal of Tea Tourism and Allied Business Policy 2025 and requested to provide land rights to all tea garden labourers under tea garden areas as per record of practice. Ms. Banerjee had announced the policy at Bengal Global Business Summit in 2025.

Amidst the protests by tea garden unions the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that there will be no compromise as far as tea garden is concerned. “There will be no compromise as far as tea plantation is concerned. If there is any additional land where there are no bushes on that land we have allowed commercial activities for local employment activities and tourism,” the Chief Minister had said, trying to allay apprehensions about the allocation of land for tourism.