Mamata Banerjee dances with tribals, hands over housing pattas to tea garden workers

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday handed over housing pattas to tea garden workers of north Bengal, where she attended a mass wedding and danced with tribals to the tune of local music. She was in Falakata of Alipurduar district at the programme.

Banerjee handed over patta documents to 1,800 beneficiaries under the project, “Cha Sundari”, worth Rs 500 crore. Under this scheme, funds will be provided to workers of tea estates to build homes over the next three years. More beneficiaries will be included in the coming years.

At the programme, Banerjee said that the Bharatiya Janata Party had promised before the elections to open closed down tea gardens in north Bengal, but they were nowhere to be seen later. “Before the Lok Sabha polls, they had said they would open seven tea gardens, but later none of these were opened,” she said. “On the other hand, we have opened nine tea gardens and now we are giving permanent housing solutions to the tea garden workers,” Banerjee added. She criticised the BJP saying that no progress took place in north Bengal since the BJP’s win in these seats, as they disappear after elections. “But the Trinamool Congress keeps promises,” Banerjee said.

At the programme today, she handed over gifts to 450 couples who got married at a mass wedding ceremony. Banerjee said that the Falakata Municipal Corporation would be set up, apart from the formation of a ‘Tribes Advisory Council’.