Another worker dies in closed Red Bank tea garden

Prashant Acharya, EOI, Siliguri, 17 Dec 2015: The steady increase in the number of deaths in the closed tea gardens of north Bengal does not appear to have moved the state government any bit. 

Today, RiniOraon (48), of the closed Red Bank tea garden in the Dooars, breathed his last, taking the toll to 82 since 2013 just in the gardens owned by the Red Bank group. Rini was a resident of Beechline of the tea garden and a permanent worker. 

He died at the state zonal hospital in Birpara. His family members alleged that Rini died due to lack of proper treatment and had been under depression following the garden’s closure. He was totally bankrupt and could not buy medicines nor seek proper medical care, they said. 

However, health officials denied Rini was suffering from lack of proper treatment saying his death was due to natural causes. 

The Red Bank group owns three tea gardens in the Dooars and all of them have remained closed since October 13, 2013.