In a major embarrassment for Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ahead of the next year’s Assembly elections, North Bengal tea gardens have witnessed a number of starvation deaths in the past one month or so. The last such deaths occurred on Thursday when two more workers perished allegedly on account of prolonged starvation-induced illness, sources said.

Most of the deaths were reported from a tea garden at Bagrakote of Malbazar sub-division in Jalpaiguri district. The tea garden was lying closed for the past several months threatening the livelihood of several hundred workers.

While the total number of starvation deaths recorded in the past 40 days was 11, locals said more people had died on account of illness. last year about one hundred tea garden workers had perished due to starvation in North Bengal.

The bigger irony was however that the deaths were reported at a time when a Government-sponsored food-festival “Ahare Bangla” was being celebrated in Kolkata reportedly to promote various kinds of local delicacies.

While the latest deaths happening two days ahead of the Chief Minister’s North Bengal tour was not going to make her trip any smoother, things turned even more uncomfortable for her when Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram blamed her Government for doing virtually nothing for the benefit of the tribal population in the region. “The State Government should implement social welfare schemes like cheap food, free health etc which have not been done. The Centre is ready to help the State if they ask for it,” Oram said.

While in Kolkata State Food Minister JP Mullick said most of the deaths were due to illness and that “the Opposition parties are making false statements to gain political points” Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said things had deteriorated in the past few years as “the garden owners are shutting down their units showing false losses. And in doing so they are taking the help of the local Trinamool leaders whose palms they are greasing.”

local labour leader Mani Darnal said that Bagrakote tea estate had no problems in the past as it was “well managed.” Things only started to deteriorate in the past few years on account of poor management and dishonest intention of the owners. “Starvation deaths are only a part of it. The students who were appearing in their board exams are not being able to do so. Child labour has increased.”