1Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
2Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Aligarh Muslim university, Aligarh
Online published on 17 March, 2016.
West Bengal is the second largest producer of tea in India contributing one fourth of India's tea productions. It has about 450 tea gardens, which employ about 6 lakh workers and it's estimated that more than 2.5 million people are dependent on the tea industry. The socio economic condition of tea worker and their dependent is very pathetic they lag behind the non tea worker on all socioeconomic indicators who are residing in the same district. Though the tea garden worker are permanent worker, but they are daily rated, they get the wages for the actual day that they work. Beside the wages of tea worker is Rs 122.50 which is below the minimum wages of agricultural labour, i.e. Rs 206. As the wages are very low the workers cannot afford even the basic needs of their life which result they are being caught in the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy hunger, etc. The condition of tea workers becomes more vulnerable when tea garden is locked out or the work is temporarily suspended. As the worker doesn't have agricultural land and other source of earning. With the closure of tea garden, they are unable to feed themselves and many people died due to starvation. There. This paper deals with the socioeconomic aspect of the tea gardens of Alipurduar district.
