Rs 313-cr special package for Bengal’s tea garden workers gets panel nod: CM Suvendu Adhikari

3 min readUpdated: Jul 5, 2026 07:11 PM IST

While the Centre had already launched the PMCSPY, it had not been implemented in West Bengal till now. (File Photo)

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said Sunday a state-level committee had finalised the implementation plan for the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana’ (PMCSPY) scheme, aimed at upliftment of the tea garden workers in the state.

The implementation of the Central scheme was also announced in the BJP government’s first budget last month. With this, a special Rs 313.3-crore special assistance package has been allocated for the state’s tea garden workers, primarily concentrated in the plains and hills in north Bengal.

The scheme is expected to help over 3 lakh beneficiaries in the state, and its framework has been designed prioritising three key areas — education, health and infrastructure.

Deputy Tea Board chairman C Murugan had earlier said the PMCSPY scheme would unlock Rs 314-crore central budget exclusively for the state’s tea garden workers.

Taking to social media on Sunday, Adhikari posted on his X handle, “We are committed to the comprehensive welfare, development of health and educational parameters of our hardworking 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’ (PMCSPY) scheme. With a total financial allocation of Rs 313.3 crore, we are bringing transformative changes to the lives of our ‘Cha Shramiks’”

“The North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) would be leading this effort as the executing agency and will work closely with the Health Department, the Paschim Banga Samagra Siksha Mission and District Administrations to roll this out smoothly. Our government remains steadfast in its dedication to the prosperity and well-being of the tea garden workers,” the CM added.

Adhikari outlined that Rs 177 crore has been allotted towards boosting educational infrastructure and quality interventions for the families of tea garden workers under ‘Cha Shramik Shiksha Yojana’ (CSSY); Rs 72 crore to upgrade health facilities and ensure robust medical services in the tea garden areas under ‘Cha Shramik Swasthya Suraksha Yojana’ (CSSSY); Rs 63 crore to build 321 resting sheds — 88 in the hills and 233 in plains — under the ‘Cha Shramik Ashray Yojana’ (CSAY).

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“These sheds will be equipped with modern, dignified amenities including off-grid solar power, clean drinking water, comfortable seating arrangements and hygienic ceramic-floored toilets,” the CM added.

While the Centre had already launched the PMCSPY, it had not been implemented in West Bengal till now. The formation of a state-level committee following the BJP government’s formation paved the way for the scheme. The administration said the government’s primary objective is to rapidly commence work on the project and extend its benefits to the tea garden workers of north Bengal.

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.

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