Elephant kills tea worker

TT, Dec. 18: A worker of Kilkot Tea Estate owned by the Duncans Goenka Group was killed by a wild elephant today.

Huku Oraon, 40, a permanent worker of the garden in Jalpaiguri district, had gone to a nearby rivulet known as Murti when he was attacked.

"His wife and son are disabled and they cannot move. Huku was the sole earner of the family. There is no drinking water supply in the garden and Huku had gone to collect water," said a neighbour.

Sources said the elephant that had come out of the Champramari Wildlife Sanctuary lifted the worker with its trunk and tossed him into the Murti. Huku died on the spot.

After the incident, local people demonstrated in the area demanding state aid for the deceased worker's family. The agitation continued for around seven hours till 2.30pm when foresters assured the protesters that compensation (Rs 1 lakh) would be paid.

Today, three others from closed and ailing tea estates in the Dooars died.

Kumar Biswakarma, 50, and Chanda Saharul, 50, of Hantapara garden, owned by the Duncans Group, in Alipurduar district died today. Both were suffering from fever, weakness and other ailments, sources said.

Lakshman Nagasia, 60, from the closed Redbank Tea Estate in Jalpaiguri died at his home. He was a paralytic and had grown weak because of lack of proper food and treatment, his neighbours said.