Closed tea gardens will reopen, West Bengal CM urges migrant workers to return

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday (July 27, 2026) expressed hope that about a dozen of closed tea gardens in north Bengal will reopen in the next few months and urged the migrant workers from the State to return.

“We have become part of Pradhan Mantri Chaa Shramik Yojana. More than ₹300 crores have been allocated for the scheme. The workers of the closed tea gardens would get benefits of the scheme. There are about 25 tea gardens which are closed, and we hope that about 10 to 12 tea gardens will open in the next two to three months,” Mr. Adhikari said.

The Chief Minister said that State’s Labour Minister Arjun Singh and deputy chairperson of Tea Board C. Murugan have taken steps regarding reopening of tea gardens. Tea gardens in North Bengal face neglect, and workers whose wages are ₹250 a day face distress when the tea gardens close. Mr. Adhikari claimed that the State was witnessing a resurgence and appealed to the migrant workers to return.

“I appeal to migrant workers to come back. The state is witnessing the emergence of numerous industrial opportunities. There are also several projects being implemented jointly by the State and the central government,” Mr. Adhikari said.

The Chief Minister referred to the recent investment proposals in the State and stated that enough employment opportunities are being generated in the State. After the change of regime in the State, several industrial houses have announced investment projects in the State. The number of migrant workers from West Bengal working in other states is somewhere between two million and five million, who are forced to work in other states because there are not enough employment opportunities in the State.

Mr. Adhikari announced a new health scheme – Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme- for the people who are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. “Those who are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will receive benefits under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme. Distribution of Ayushman Bharat cards will begin from August 16, and all eligible beneficiaries will receive benefits under the Annapurna Yojana by August 30. No ordinary citizen will face any hardship,” he said.