Suvendu Adhikari Launches Rs 313.3 Crore Tea Worker Welfare Scheme

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana (PMCSPY) on July 5, 2026. The scheme allocates Rs 313.3 crore to improve the living standards of tea garden workers in North Bengal, a move that follows the inclusion of the project in the June 22 budget by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta.

The financial package is divided into three pillars. The Cha Shramik Shiksha Yojana receives Rs 177 crore for educational infrastructure, while the Cha Shramik Swasthya Suraksha Yojana allocates Rs 72 crore for healthcare upgrades. The remaining Rs 63 crore is designated for the Cha Shramik Aashray Yojana to construct 321 solar-powered resting sheds equipped with clean water.

The North Bengal Development Department will serve as the nodal agency, coordinating with the Health Department and the Paschim Banga Samagra Siksha Mission. This rollout follows the July 1 launch of the Annapurna Scheme and the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Act. The implementation addresses years of inaction by the previous Trinamool Congress government, which had failed to form the necessary State Level Committee.

While industry stakeholders described the initiative as a game-changer, tea garden workers continue to demand increases to their daily minimum wage of Rs 250.