Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has made a significant pre-election promise, declaring that the daily wage of tea garden workers in West Bengal will be increased to Rs 300 if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returns to power for a fourth consecutive term.
Rally in Alipurduar Sets the Stage for Promise
The pledge was made during the 'Abar Jitbe Bangla' rally in Alipurduar on Saturday. This town was the second stop on Abhishek Banerjee's political tour. In a symbolic move, he invited tea garden worker Suresh Turi onto the stage to voice the community's grievances directly.
Turi highlighted the severe challenges faced by the workers, stating, "We get only Rs 250 wage. What can we do with this wage? We don't even get patta (land deed) of our land." Acknowledging the insufficiency of the current wage, Abhishek Banerjee traced its increase from Rs 60 before the TMC government came to power to the present Rs 250.
A Tripartite Solution for a Fair Wage
In his response, the TMC MP outlined a concrete plan to address the issue. He assured the crowd that Alipurduar would be the first priority for a new TMC government. "I know that a family cannot run on this (Rs 250)," he admitted.
He promised to facilitate a tripartite meeting involving the state government, labour unions, and the management of the tea plantations to formalize the new wage structure. "A daily wage of Rs 300 will be paid," he declared emphatically.
Infrastructure Announcements and Political Barbs
Alongside the wage promise, Banerjee announced that all new bus routes from Alipurduar, previously promised by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will be inaugurated next week.
The rally also featured sharp political criticism. Abhishek Banerjee took a swipe at the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, whom he referred to as "Vanish Kumar," accusing him of making "living people dead" on electoral rolls. He urged the people of Alipurduar to "show their magic" in the upcoming polls.
Launching a fierce attack on the BJP, he described the party as a "snake" and criticized its model of 'double-engine government'. He cited the recent Indore water poisoning incident, asking, "The government that can't give you clean water and better air quality would never give you Awas houses." He concluded this segment with the rallying cry, "Ye Bengal jhukega nai (Bengal shall not bow down)."
The political stakes are high in Alipurduar, a region where the TMC lost all five Assembly seats in the 2021 state polls and also failed to win the Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections. This rally is part of a broader campaign to regain influence in North Bengal.
