Three die in Dheklapara in a week

TT, Alipurduar, June 30: Three residents of the closed Dheklapara Tea Estate have died in the garden in the past week at a time workers have alleged they are not getting money under a state assistance scheme since April.

In the last six months nine people have died in the garden.

Garden workers have alleged that they have not been getting the Rs 1,500 aid under the financial assistance for workers of locked out industries (FAWLOI).They have also said that one medical camp in a week in the garden is not sufficient for them. The garden shut down in 2002, was briefly opened in 2005 and then has been shut since.

Smaraki Mahapatra, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, said: “Fulmani Bedia, 38, Bishu Tanti, 58 and Gopal Kumhar, 59, died in the garden last week. Fulmani was in an advanced stage of pregnancy and had acute anaemia but left the hospital despite the doctor’s warning. Bishu Tanti was suffering from liver cirrhosis. Gopal died of multiple-organ failure.” Mahapatra added: “All three… left without completing treatment. I’m trying my best to arrange for the FAWLOI payment and have instructed the labour department officials to take necessary steps.”

Swapan Samjhar, a worker of the garden said: “From April we have not got the FAWLOI cash. The medical team visits the garden for only two hours once in a week. If the garden is not opened soon our problems will keep increasing.”