Managers leave estates

TT, Jalpaiguri, July 16: Managers of two tea gardens of the Duncans Goenka Group in the Dooars left the estates today.

Ashok Singh, the manager of Kilkot Tea Estate, and Chandan Prakash Kapoor, the manager of Nagaisuree Tea Estate, left this morning.

Kilkot has around 1,200 workers and Nagaisuree has 1,600. Both are in Jalpaiguri.

"As per instructions, tea from both the gardens is sent to Calcutta for auctions. But recently, some trade union leaders put pressure on the managers asking them to sell brew to local buyers. The managers left apprehending law and order problems," said a source.

For six months, payment of wages and distribution of ration have been irregular in all 14 tea gardens of the group.

Ramchandra Ojha, a Progressive Tea Workers' Union leader, said. "We proposed that the managers sell tea to local buyers and pay the workers."