Duncans garden closed & 'reopened' - NH blockade threat for dues

Workers gather in front of a factory of Nagaisuree Tea Estate on Tuesday. Picture by Biplak Basak

TT, Jan. 12: The management of Nagaisuree Tea Estate in the Dooars shut down the garden this morning acknowledging that workers' wages and rations were due, but in a few hours, issued another notice revoking the closure.

The management didn't give any reason for the revocation of the closure of the garden owned by the Duncans Goenka Group. However, sources said workers and trade union leaders had forced the management to close the garden.

Had Nagaisuree, which is in Metelli block of Jalpaiguri district and around 65km from Siliguri, been closed, it would have enabled workers to avail themselves of a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 each under FAWLOI (Financial Assistance to Workers of Locked Out Industries). The garden has 850 permanent workers and an equal number of temporary labourers.

The closure notice issued by the assistant manager of Nagaisuree reads: "This is to inform you that garden management is unable to give the schedule of payment from April'15 to June' 15 and final payment of December'15 and also 90 nos of ration unless the Head Office gives us the same. In this circumstances, Assistant Manager is bound to close the garden and leave as per advice of Supdt. Manager."

However, the superintendent manager, C.S. Kapoor, told The Telegraph over the phone in the evening that another notice had been issued to withdraw the closure and the garden would continue to function. "Nagaisuree has minimum dues and we are trying our best to clear them."

Sources said the second notice didn't explicitly speak about the revocation of the closure order. "Since the management hadn't sent the closure notice to government officials as mandated by rules, the garden can continue to function. Furthermore, the second notice was sent to the Malbazar subdivisional officer," said a source.

"For the past few days, workers have been regularly meeting the managerial staff and inquiring about the dues. The management representatives could not say specifically when they would clear the dues. This morning also, the workers went to meet the manager. They left after some time as the manager failed to give any specific date," Gobinda Hazra, the Nagaisuree unit secretary of the Citu-backed Cha Bagan Mazdoor Union, said earlier in the day.

Yesterday, over 1,000 residents of Dhumchipara, another estate of the Duncans near Madarihat in Alipurduar district, organised a rally under the banner of the Cha Bagan Bachao Committee. "We will wait for 10 days for the management to either regulate activities on all its tea estates or announce a formal closure," said Rajen Lohar, a worker of Dhumchipara Tea Estate.

The workers threatened that if there was no positive development in 10 days, they would launch an indefinite blockade of NH31. "Even if police take any stringent action, we will not budge. In any case, we are perishing in our quarters," said Durga Ram Paik, a worker of Dhumchipara.