Workers' cooperative plan for 6 shut estates

TT, Jalpaiguri, Dec. 23: The Jalpaiguri Central Co-operative Bank today said it has adopted a resolution today to encourage the proposal of forming workers' cooperatives to reopen and run six closed tea estates in the Dooars and also extend financial assistance to each such cooperative.

Sourav Chakraborty, the bank's chairman, who held a meeting with officials of different state and central government departments here today, said: "We are exploring the idea of forming workers' cooperatives to reopen and run the closed tea estates. Today, elaborate discussions were held on the proposal. Our bank has made a resolution to encourage the proposal and extend Rs 10 crore to each such proposed cooperative as loan so that these bodies can start functioning."

He said: "We have to look into several legal, administrative and other issues. We will speak to the state minister of cooperatives tomorrow and will seek the opinion of experts in this regard. But the basic idea is to stand by these jobless workers and help them become self-reliant by forming the cooperatives to run these gardens."

The closed gardens which the bank has chosen for this proposal are Redbank, Dharanipur, Surendranagar, Bandapani, Dheklapara and Kumlai. In Redbank, Dharanipur, Surendranagar and Bandapani, the state cancelled land leases last year. Kumlai, near Malbazar, closed down on November 17 while Dheklapara is shut since 2002. The other four gardens have been shut for almost two years.

"We have spoken to workers in all the six gardens. They have endorsed the proposal and are ready to work under cooperatives. We will also involve local elected representatives of panchayats, bank officials and officials of the state labour department in the process," Chakraborty said.

The meeting between labour minister Malay Ghatak and tea workers did not happen today as the minister did not visit Uttarkanya. Chakraborty said a group of ministers will speak to representatives of closed and ailing gardens in Calcutta on December 28.