Two days after the Assam government started distributing fortnightly salaries in cash to five lakh tea gardens employees, tea workers in northern districts of West Bengal is yet to be taken care of.

Located in far flung areas, underserved by the banking sector, tea industry pays wages fortnightly in cash. While payments were due in the second week, sudden restriction on cash withdrawals stopped companies from giving salaries.

To safeguard workers’ interest and avoid unrest, the Assam government asked plantations to transfer requisite money to its disaster management department, which under special arrangements with the RBI dispensed cash to plantation workers. As on Tuesday, salaries of major gardens are paid.

Taking a cue from the Assam example, Indian Tea Association requested intervention of West Bengal government on Saturday. West Bengal contributes nearly a quarter of country’s tea output. Sixty per cent of the total comes from large estates having over 2.5 lakh people on pay-roll.

At a hurriedly called meeting in Siliguri, the State officials verbally promised to implement the plan. On Sunday, meetings were held at district levels and tea producers were asked to submit requisitions.

While producers duly submitted the requisitions on Monday, the State government is yet to handover the bank details for money transfer.

“We are eagerly waiting for further instructions from the West Bengal government to give effect to the plan,” a tea official told BusinessLine on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, cash shortage is acute in the tea region of Bengal as most of the banks including State Bank and United Bank (that has maximum penetration in the State) in Banarhat, Binnaguri, Birpara, Nagrakata areas of the tea heartland have gone dry.

According to tea officials, almost all ATMs are closed. And, a few branches as the State Bank in Binnaguri is dispensing cash, witnessing a kilometre long queue.

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