Trinamul’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reached out to the tea population in the western Dooars in Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday and elaborated on the series of initiatives taken by the state government for the region while lambasting the Centre for halting funds for social welfare schemes.
Abhishek, who had launched his statewide outreach drive from Cooch Behar on April 25, reached Dhupguri from Alipurduar district today. From there, he reached Binnaguri where he interacted with tea workers and their families and later went to Nagrakata, an administrative block located amid tea estates.
“The state is putting utmost efforts to help people with various social welfare schemes. BJP, on the other hand, has taken the task to deprive Bengal of its due funds. Thousands of people are facing hardship due to the Centre’s decision. The BJP didn’t stop here and today, the party called a bandh today which deprived many daily-wage earners of a day’s earnings,” he said.
While speaking at the meetings in Odlabari, Chalsa and Kranti – to other venues where Abhishek went today, he elaborated that the ongoing drive has also been taken to collect recommendations from people about prospective candidates whom the party might field at the upcoming panchayat elections in all three tiers.
“We are seeking names from people so that we can field competent candidates with a clean image. Once they are elected, the rural bodies will function in a much better manner and without corruption. Let us be clear that it is only Trinamul which takes steps if malpractice or corruption is reported,” said the Trinamul MP.
During his visit, the process of submission of candidates’ names continued in all the venues as local leaders and elected representatives monitored the process.
The selection of venues across western Dooars is significant and hints that Trinamul is keen to win back the support of tea workers and their families, most of whom had sided with BJP in some recent polls, opined observers.
They mentioned that since last year, Abhishek Banerjee has taken a series of initiatives for the tea workers. The state has issued identity cards for each worker, opening crèches and health centres in tea gardens for the local population.
“Today, he tried to drive home the point that the Centre did not don anything for the tea populace, even though they elected BJP MPs and MLAs, while the state went on extending help to them. It is indeed a challenge for the saffron camp to draw parallels and prove the Centre worked for the tea population,” said an observer.
