West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on July 5 announced the rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana (PMCSPY) in the state, allocating ₹313.30 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers in North Bengal. The scheme, which had remained unimplemented in the state for nearly two years since its announcement in the Union Budget 2021-22, will focus on improving education, healthcare, and basic infrastructure for over 3.5 lakh tea workers. The implementation follows the formation of a State Level Committee by the new government, a prerequisite that the previous administration had not fulfilled.
What Is the PM Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana?
The Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana is a centrally sponsored welfare scheme announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2021-22. It was designed specifically for tea garden workers in Assam and West Bengal, the two largest tea-producing states in India. The scheme has a total outlay of ₹1,000 crore.
The scheme is administered by the Tea Board of India, a statutory body established in 1953 under the Tea Act, 1953. The Tea Board functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headquartered in Kolkata. Its responsibilities include promoting the tea industry, regulating tea production and export, and overseeing the welfare of tea plantation workers.
The primary objective of PMCSPY is to improve the quality of life of tea garden workers and their families by ensuring access to better education, healthcare, housing, drinking water, sanitation, and crèche facilities. The scheme is fully funded by the central government, with the state government’s role limited to implementation through a mandatory State Level Committee (SLC).
The Three Components of the Scheme
The West Bengal government has broken down the PMCSPY allocation into three targeted sub-schemes, each addressing a specific welfare area.
| Sub-Scheme | Allocation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cha Shramik Shiksha Yojana (CSSY) | ₹177 crore | Strengthening educational infrastructure and improving learning opportunities for children of tea workers |
| Cha Shramik Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (CSSSY) | ₹72 crore | Upgrading healthcare facilities and ensuring robust medical services in tea garden areas |
| Cha Shramik Aashray Yojana (CSAY) | ₹63 crore | Constructing 321 resting sheds with modern amenities (88 in the hills, 233 in the plains) |
Under the CSSY, the focus is on building and upgrading schools, providing quality learning interventions, and improving educational outcomes for families of tea garden workers. The CSSSY aims to address the chronic lack of healthcare access in tea garden regions by upgrading existing health facilities and ensuring timely medical attention.
The resting sheds being built under CSAY will be equipped with off-grid solar power, clean drinking water, comfortable seating, and ceramic-floored toilets. These sheds are designed to provide dignified rest facilities for workers during long working hours in the plantations.
The North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) has been designated the nodal implementing agency for the entire scheme. It will coordinate with the Health Department, Paschim Banga Samagra Siksha Mission, and district administrations across the tea-growing regions to ensure smooth execution.
Why the Scheme Was Delayed in West Bengal
Despite being announced in the Union Budget 2021-22, PMCSPY was not implemented in West Bengal for nearly two years. The reason was the absence of a State Level Committee (SLC), a mandatory prerequisite for the release of central funds. The SLC, chaired by the chief secretary and comprising representatives of both the state and central governments, had not been constituted by the previous Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that more than 3.79 lakh tea garden workers in West Bengal were denied benefits under the scheme because the state government was unwilling to implement it. She added that Assam, in contrast, had utilized ₹292.36 crore out of its allocation of ₹293.5 crore, benefiting over 7 lakh tea garden workers from 800 tea gardens across 18 districts.
Tea Board Deputy Chairman C Murugan noted that despite repeated requests, the SLC was not formed by the previous regime. The scheme is fully funded by the Centre and required no financial contribution from the state government. Following the change of government after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the new administration formed the SLC, paving the way for the scheme’s implementation.
The State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, in the first Budget of the new government tabled on June 22, 2026, had already signalled the government’s intent to implement PMCSPY in collaboration with the Government of India. The Budget also announced the setting up of a Tea Workers Development Board to oversee welfare schemes on an ongoing basis.
Tea Garden Workers in North Bengal: Conditions and Challenges
North Bengal is home to about 250 major tea gardens spread across the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar. More than 3.5 lakh workers depend directly on these plantations for their livelihood. India is the second-largest tea producer in the world after China, and West Bengal’s three tea-growing regions Darjeeling, Dooars, and Terai contribute significantly to national output.
Despite the tea industry’s economic importance, workers in these gardens have faced generations of hardship. Health and education infrastructure in tea garden areas has remained poor for decades. An estimated 20 to 25 tea gardens in north Bengal have been closed for years, rendering thousands of workers jobless and homeless. There have been reports of deaths due to malnutrition in some of these closed gardens.
Workers in the tea sector are among the most vulnerable labour groups in eastern India. They have historically struggled with inadequate housing, limited access to healthcare, low wages, and restricted educational opportunities for their children. The lack of proper sanitation, drinking water, and crèche facilities for working mothers has further compounded their difficulties.
The Darjeeling tea variety, known globally for its unique aroma and flavour, was the first Indian product to receive the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2004-05. However, the region’s tea output has been declining due to unfavourable weather, pest attacks, and the overall stress faced by the plantation economy.
The Way Forward
The implementation of PMCSPY in West Bengal marks a significant step toward addressing the long-standing grievances of tea garden workers. The scheme’s focus on education, healthcare, and infrastructure addresses the three weakest pillars of tea garden welfare. However, industry observers note that the allocation of ₹313.30 crore for 3.5 lakh workers works out to roughly ₹9,000 per worker, and unions have called for more comprehensive interventions, including measures to revive closed gardens and address malnutrition.
The state government has also established a Tea Workers Development Board to ensure sustained oversight of welfare schemes beyond the PMCSPY. The new government reduced the permissible land diversion limit for tea tourism from 30% to 15%, aiming to protect prime tea garden land from commercial conversion while allowing some diversification of revenue.
Industry stakeholders have welcomed the scheme. The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Association described it as a potential game-changer, pointing to Assam’s experience where robust infrastructure development followed the uplift of workers. With the North Bengal Development Department now tasked with rapid execution and coordination across multiple departments, the focus shifts to timely implementation and ensuring that funds reach the intended beneficiaries without delay.
Key Takeaways
- The Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana (PMCSPY) was announced in the Union Budget 2021-22 with a total outlay of ₹1,000 crore for Assam and West Bengal.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the rollout of PMCSPY in the state with an allocation of ₹313.30 crore on July 5, 2026.
- The scheme has three components: Cha Shramik Shiksha Yojana (₹177 crore for education), Cha Shramik Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (₹72 crore for healthcare), and Cha Shramik Aashray Yojana (₹63 crore for 321 resting sheds).
- The scheme remained unimplemented in West Bengal for nearly two years because the previous government did not form the mandatory State Level Committee.
- Assam utilized ₹292.36 crore of its allocation, benefiting 7 lakh+ workers across 800 tea gardens in 18 districts.
- The Tea Board of India, established in 1953 under the Tea Act, 1953, administers the scheme and functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
