West Bengal CM announces ₹313 crore for tea workers under Central scheme

Published 5 July 2026 · politics

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday (July 5, 2026) said the State Government had decided to implement the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday (July 5, 2026) said the State Government had decided to implement the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana’ (PMCSPY) and announced an allocation of ₹313.30 crore for the scheme. “We are committed to the comprehensive welfare, development of health and educational parameters of our tea garden workers of North Bengal. To ensure expeditious and smooth progress, our State-level committee recently finalised the implementation plan for the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana’. With a total financial allocation of ₹313.30 crore, we are bringing transformative changes to the lives of our ‘Cha Shramiks,” Mr. Adhikari posted on social media.

Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, in the Budget tabled on June 22 had said the West Bengal government would implement the PM Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana in collaboration with the Government of India, and the focus would be on improving the living standards of tea garden workers and their families. The scheme, with a total outlay of ₹1,000 crore, was meant for Assam and West Bengal, the two major tea-producing States. The Central scheme aims to provide more than 10 lakh workers across 1,210 tea gardens in Assam and West Bengal access to better healthcare, education, and resting facilities. Tea Board officials said West Bengal did not implement the scheme for several years, as the State Level Committee (SLC), a prerequisite for implementing the scheme, had not been formed by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government.

Minimum wages There are about 250 large tea gardens in the Darjeeling hills and Terai and Dooars and about 10 lakh workers are dependent on these gardens. Other than proper health and education infrastructure, tea garden workers are demanding minimum wages. The wages for tea garden workers are ₹250 per day. The Chief Minister, in his social media post, pointed out that under the PMCSPY, an allocation of ₹177 crore would be made to boost educational infrastructure and quality interventions for the families of tea workers and a ₹72 crore investment to upgrade health facilities and ensure robust medical services in tea-garden areas. Mr. Adhikari added that ₹63 crore would be allocated for building 321 resting sheds (88 in the hills and 233 in the plains).

Observing that his government remains steadfast in the prosperity and well-being of tea garden workers, the Chief Minister said that State government’s North Bengal Development Department would be leading this effort as the executing agency and would work closely with the Health Department, Paschim Banga Samagra Siksha Mission and District Administrations to roll out the welfare measures.