The Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union leadership, following a directive from its parent party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will help those tea garden workers who are yet to link their Aadhaar cards with provident fund accounts to complete the process when special camps by PF authorities are scheduled in January 2023.

Tea garden workers who do not yet have an Aadhaar card are already getting help from the workers’ union to get the crucial document from UIDAI authorities.

Many tea garden workers cannot withdraw their dues from the PF accounts as it is mandatory to link Aadhaar cards with PF accounts for the process. The problem gets worse for those who do not have an Aadhaar card.

Special camps will be held in tea gardens of the Dooars by the PF authorities to sort out these problems.

Prior to that, the Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union leaders have started guiding tea garden workers on how to become eligible to withdraw their dues from PF accounts.

A few months ago, during his visit to the Dooars, Abhishek had instructed his party leaders to organise a rally from various tea gardens of the region to march to the office of the PF commissioner in Jalpaiguri and demand PF for the workers.

The aim of the move was to put pressure on the PF department of the Centre on the one hand, and on the other, convey a message to tea garden workers that Trinamul was fighting for their rights.

“Tea garden workers play a decisive role in the electoral politics of north Bengal. Trinamul could not fare well in the last parliamentary elections. Now, ahead of the 2023 panchayat elections, Trinamul is desperately trying to woo the tea garden workers by sorting out their problems in the withdrawal of PF dues,” said a source.

During December first week, a number of rallies were organised from various places in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri to the office of the PF commissioner in Jalpaiguri.

It was decided that from January 15 the processing of new Aadhaar cards and linking the cards with PF and bank accounts would begin.

Nakul Sonar, the chairman of Trinamul Cha Sramik Union, said: “We are helping the tea garden workers in doing the necessary paperwork so that they do not face any problem in linking their Aadhaar cards with PF accounts or getting a new Aadhaar card. We are committed to solving the problems of the tea workers in getting their dues.”

Trinamul leaders in north Bengal have also been trying to convince the tea workers that chief minister Mamata Banerjee is concerned about their plight and homes under the state housing project, Cha Sundari, that she had announced for them would be handed over to the workers soon.