West Bengal sets adult cinchona plantation workers’ minimum daily wage at ₹406, effective July 1

West Bengal has set the minimum daily wage for adult cinchona plantation workers at ₹406. The Labour Commissioner issued the directive on 2 November 2026, with the new rate effective from 1 July 2026.

Wage directive

Darjeeling MP and BJP national spokesperson Raju Bista thanked Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari after the workers’ long-standing demand for a wage increase was met.

Important Facts for Exams

• Darjeeling cultivation: Darjeeling cultivation began with C. succirubra, later C. pubescens, and shifted to C. calisaya; a cinchona factory operated at Mungpoo.
• Cinchona taxonomy and range: Cinchona belongs to the Rubiaceae, the coffee family, and its native range is the Andean region of South America.