The Bengal government has initiated the process of meeting the commitments made by Trinamul Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee to the tea garden population of north Bengal.

On Friday, labour minister Moloy Ghatak arrived in Dhumchipara, a tea estate in the eastern Dooars in Alipurduar district. Probably for the first time in the history of the state’s brew belt, he handed over identity cards issued by his department to the workers of the garden.

The move is seen as an attempt by Mamata Banerjee’s party to woo the people who live in tea gardens. In the past three-four years, Trinamul failed to draw support from the tea belt as majority of the residents sided with the saffron camp.

In north Bengal, votes of the tea population decide the results of three Parliament seats and around 14 Assembly segments. With the ruling party facing a defeat in those seats, Abhishek, who is also the all–India general secretary of Trinamul, has taken the strategy to draw the support of tea workers and their families. On September 11 this year, while speaking at a public meeting organised in Malbazarof Jalpaiguri, the young leader had made a number of promises to the tea workers.

“I would request the state labour department to issue identity cards to each tea worker. This process should be initiated immediately,” Abhishek had said in his speech.

He had also said a considerable section of workers and employees do not have details of their gross and net wages and salaries, while demanding that each tea estate should issue pay slips to each worker and employee while making the payments. Accordingly, the labour department started issuing identity cards to the workers.“The minister will distribute identity cards in some other tea estates tomorrow. We want to finish the distribution process in the next two three months,” said an official of the department.

He also mentioned that on September 21, Amarnath Mallick, the state labour commissioner, has issued an order, mentioning that every tea estate should issue pay slips to the workers and employees from October 1.“A proforma of the payslip has also been attached with the order. This will confirm that the payment of wages and salaries is transparent. A worker can have a clear idea about his entitlements, whether he has been paid for additional work and the deductions made from his gross wages,” the official added.

(Additional reporting by ourAlipurduar correspondent)