AGARTALA / KOLKATA, Jan 6 (TIWN): On a 3 day visit to Bengal and NE States, assuring revival of ailing tea estates, Sitharaman on Tuesday proposed setting up a committee comprising representatives from the state and central governments and the Tea Board for the monitoring of the tea gardens.Affirming the Centre's commitment towards solving their issues, Sitharaman assured the workers of ensuring increase in the minimum wages and making suitable amendments in the plantation act.Several tea estates have closed down leaving thousands of workers in deep distress. Many deaths allegedly due to malnutrition or starvation have also been reported from some of the estates. "The law needs to be amended so that the benefits under the Food Security Act, Right to Food Act and the likes can be extended to the workers.Union Minister of State for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate the LCS at Tripura’s Srimantapur, which is located about 45 km from the state capital, sources said. Multi-facility Land Custom Station (LCS) and Immigration Centre will be inaugurated at Srimantapur in Sipahijala district bordering Bangladesh on Wednesday. The LCS is built after spending a huge amount of Rs 16 crore. However, the set up is built on 2.83 acres of land bordering the Comilla district of Bangladesh.

LCS is expected to boost the trade between Tripura and Bangladesh. This LCS is almost like an integrated check post having the facilities like weighs bridge, warehouse, computerised immigration system, bank with currency exchange facility among others.

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday stressed the need for amending the Plantations Labour Act, and called upon the Centre to revive ailing tea gardens in the state.

"Under the Plantations Labour Act, it has been provided that, under certain circumstances, the central government or the Tea Board can assume the control of a tea estate. Revival of the tea estates has to be a joint effort by both the Centre and the state governments and the Centre has to take the initiative," Trinamool secretary general and state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

Chatterjee held discussion with union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who, during her two-day visit, took stock of the situation of ailing tea estates in Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts.

"Tea industry is very important for the state and the chief minister has urged the Centre several times for a special package under the NABARD. She also had stressed the need for amending the Plantations Labour Act," said Chatterjee.