New Delhi, February 12, 2026 – Darjeeling Lok Sabha MP Raju Bista today strongly criticised the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal during his speech in Parliament on The Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill 2026, accusing it of failing to implement the Centre’s progressive labour reforms and neglecting tea garden workers.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Bista praised the Narendra Modi government’s consolidation of 29 outdated British-era labour laws into four modern codes — Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Occupational Safety and Health Code, and the Industrial Relations Code. He highlighted benefits such as guaranteed timely wages, a national floor wage, appointment letters for all workers, equal pay and respect for women, social security for 50 crore workers, and statutory protections aligned with international standards.
However, the BJP MP drew sharp attention to West Bengal’s non-implementation of these codes under the TMC regime. He stated that nearly 30 tea gardens in North Bengal have shut down, forcing indigenous communities to migrate in search of livelihood, while alleged illegal infiltration continues to alter the region’s demographic balance.
Bista also raised the denial of Parja Patta (land rights) to ancestral lands of tea and cinchona garden workers, claiming the state government has diverted 30% of such land for 5-star hotels. He urged the Centre to ensure these rights are ascertained.
Further, he noted that the Central Government allocated ₹1,000 crore in FY2024-25 for the welfare of tea garden workers in Assam and West Bengal. While Assam has effectively utilised its share, West Bengal has not. Bista requested that the funds for West Bengal be transferred directly to workers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
The speech has resonated in North Bengal, where tea garden closures and land rights remain sensitive issues.
This comes amid Bista’s recent high-level meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where regional development priorities were discussed.
