Hundreds of Trinamul supporters, including tea workers, went to the regional provident fund office in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday, demanding necessary steps from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) — a central government organisation — to expedite payment of PF to tea workers.

Led by state ministers Moloy Ghatak and Bulu Chik Baraik and state INTTUC president Ritabrata Banerjee, party supporters held a demonstration in front of the office.

“Hundreds of tea workers are being deprived of their provident fund because of the lackadaisical attitude of EPFO authorities. John Barla, a Union minister of state (the BJP MP of Alipurduar), is from a tea estate but has not done anything for workers on this issue. If the issue is not resolved within this month, tea workers and our party will raise blockades in front of the house of John Barla and other BJP MPs and MLAs of this region,” said INTTUC president Banerjee.

In September this year, Trinamul’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced in Malbazar that the party will organise a movement against the EPFO on a number of issues related to workers.

These include the problem faced by some tea workers in linking their Aadhaar with PF accounts, delay on the part of some tea gardens in depositing provident fund although it is deducted from workers’ wages and employees’ salaries, and hurdles faced by some workers in receiving their provident fund after retirement.

During the demonstration, a delegation representing Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union submitted a memorandum to EPFO authorities, stating the issues should be resolved.

Mahua Gope, the Jalpaiguri district Trinamul president, said John Barla and other legislators of the BJP will have to answer tea workers and their families about what they have done for them.

“These people have only made empty promises. We have never seen John Barla taking any effective steps to help tea workers with their provident fund. The state government, on the other hand, has taken various initiatives for people in tea estates,” she said.

The demonstration in front of the EPFO office, preceded by rallies conducted by Trinamul across the Dooars on various issues of tea workers, indicates that Mamata Banerjee’s party wants to exert pressure on the saffron camp and simultaneously revive its support base in the north Bengal brew belt, said political observers.

They pointed out that panchayat elections are ahead and the support of the tea belt decides the results of rural bodies in at least three north Bengal districts.

“In some recent elections, a section of tea workers sided with the BJP. Trinamul wants the votes to swing in its favour and hence has taken up the task of playing the development card and raising issues like provident fund dues which the workers can easily relate to,” said an observer.