Health Infrastructure Gap In Tea Plantations of West Bengal

Abstract

The deplorable living conditions of the workers, in spite of the industry's significance, led to the passage of the Plantation Labour Act 1951 (PLA-51) and subsequent Plantation Labour Rule in 1956 (WBPLR-56) in West Bengal. The rule aimed to improve the living conditions of the workers by providing certain benefits. Among them, providing health infrastructure for the workers in remote areas was the most significant. However, over two lakh daily-rated tea plantation workers in West Bengal faced uncertain living conditions caused by mainly inadequate educational and health infrastructure, along with other factors. The study seeks to demonstrate how different-sized tea estates implement WBPLR-56 differently. The study also examines the variations in the implementation of WBPLR-56 among the Dooars, Darjeeling Hills, and Terai tea-producing regions of West Bengal.