Archive · 20 Jan 2026
West Bengal Launches Free Ambulance Service for Tea Workers
The West Bengal government started a free ambulance service called 'Cha Bondhu Sathi' for tea workers and their families in the Alipurduar district.
This service helps people who live far from hospitals and have to travel a long way to get medical care.
Before this, people had to pay a lot of money for ambulance services, but now it's free.
The ambulances will serve three tea estates: Newlands, Kumargram, and Sankosh.
Along with the ambulances, the government also introduced 11 free school buses to take students from tea gardens to their schools and back home.
This initiative is part of the Trinamool Congress party's efforts to improve services in the tea belt and gain political support.
The West Bengal government launched a free ambulance service for tea workers and their families in the Alipurduar district under the 'Cha Bondhu Sathi' scheme.
The initiative aims to provide easier access to healthcare facilities for residents of remote tea estates, who previously had to pay ₹2,500 for ambulance services.
The ambulance service was inaugurated in the Newlands tea estate and will serve the Newlands, Kumargram, and Sankosh tea estates in the Kumargram block.
Along with the ambulance service, 11 free school buses have been introduced to transport students from tea gardens to their schools and back home.
The Trinamool Congress party, which initiated the scheme, hopes to gain political leverage in the tea belt, where healthcare services are currently inadequate.
- Who
- Tea workers and their families in Alipurduar district, West Bengal
- What
- Launch of a free ambulance service under the 'Cha Bondhu Sathi' scheme
- When
- Inaugurated on a Sunday, with plans for further expansion
- Where
- Alipurduar block, specifically in Newlands, Kumargram, and Sankosh tea estates
- Why
- To provide easier access to healthcare facilities for tea workers and their families living in remote areas
- Location
- Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India
- Initiative Name
- Cha Bondhu Sathi
- Beneficiaries
- Tea workers and their families
- Initial Coverage
- Newlands, Kumargram, and Sankosh tea estates
- Cost Savings
- ₹2,500 per ambulance trip
- Additional Initiative
- 11 free school buses for tea garden students