West Bengal Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh on Tuesday, 18 August alleged that tea garden lands across north Bengal were sold illegally during the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime, with proceeds purportedly funnelled into the party's election fund. The allegations were made at a press conference in Kolkata, marking one of the sharpest direct attacks by the current state government on its predecessor's land administration record.

Key Allegations

Ghosh, who also serves as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Siliguri, alleged 'institutional corruption' in the transfer of tea garden lands during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He claimed the money generated from these allegedly illegal sales was used to finance TMC's election campaigns in the state. The allegations remain unverified independently, and TMC has not yet responded publicly to the charges.

Commission to Probe Land Transfers

The government of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has already constituted a commission headed by retired Justice Biswajit Basu to examine corruption across various government sectors. Minister Ghosh announced he will write to Chief Minister Adhikari, requesting that all issues related to tea garden land transfers, leases, and commercial use be referred to this commission. He said the probe would seek to establish how the lands were used and who benefited from those transactions.

Tea Tourism Push in North Bengal

Separately, Ghosh unveiled plans to develop tea tourism as a significant economic driver in north Bengal. The minister said he intends to sign agreements with tea garden owners and organisations to allow tourists to stay in heritage bungalows within the estates. Alongside these bungalows, the government plans to develop homestays inside tea gardens to expand accommodation options.

'We have a plan to strengthen the local economy by connecting workers and residents of tea gardens with the tourism industry. Emphasis will be placed on the system so that local people and tea workers directly benefit from tourism,' Ghosh said.

Balancing Tourism and Tea Production

The minister stressed that the state government's objective is to transform tea gardens into significant tourism destinations without compromising their primary character as tea-producing zones. He noted that the current government has approved a proposal permitting 15 per cent of tea garden area to be used for commercial purposes — a move intended to unlock economic value while preserving the agricultural core of the estates.

With the Basu commission already operational and a formal letter to the Chief Minister expected shortly, the political fallout from these allegations is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.