2 companies come forward to take over two tea gardens owned by Duncans
HT, 4 Jun 2016, Kolkata/ SILIGURI: The Tea Board of India has found bidders for two of the seven tea gardens owned by Duncans Industries Limited which the Centre decided to take over through a gazette notification on January 28 this year. The stakeholders of the seven gardens located near Birpara in Alipurduar have been informed by tea board officials that two companies have come forward to take over Birpara and Garganda gardens.
Gobinda Pradhan, the chief coordinator of Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (DTDPLU), the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s trade union wing, said, “Chengmari Tea Company and Devijhora Tea Company have showed an interest to take over Birpara and Garganda tea gardens.”
Pradhan also said that the trade unions that are active in the seven tea gardens had submitted a deputation to the Tea Board in Kolkata on Thursday. The unions demanded that the tea board expedite the process of handing over the ownership of the seven tea gardens to new bidders. Issuing a gazette notification on January 28, the Union commerce and industry ministry directed the tea board to take over the management or control of the seven tea estates of the Duncans as per the provisions of Chapter III A of the Tea Act, 1953 (29 of 1953).
The tea estates are Birpara, Garganda, Lankapara, Tulsipara, Huntapara, Dhumchipara and Demdima. The issue is, however, pending before the Calcutta High Court. The management of these gardens has been defaulting on payment of wages and other statutory benefits to the workers for more than one year.
Mani Kumar Darnal, the president of the National Union of Plantation Workers, said, “First, the high court will have to clear the decks before new companies can take over the management of these crisis-riddled tea gardens.”
Darnal also pointed out that while two companies are biding to take over Birpara and Garganda tea gardens, the tea board is scouting for bidders for other gardens.
Darnal told Hindustan Times that Tea Board officials have also agreed to come to North Bengal to hold one- on- one meetings with the trade unions and stakeholders of all seven gardens taken over by the Centre.
As of April 30 this year, eight tea gardens were closed or abandoned in addition to 14 crisis-ridden gardens owned by the Duncans. The closed tea gardens are Red Bank, Surendra Nagar, Dharanipur, Dekhlapara, Bandapani, Madhu, Panighata and Rahimabad.
Gobinda Pradhan, the chief coordinator of Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (DTDPLU), the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s trade union wing, said, “Chengmari Tea Company and Devijhora Tea Company have showed an interest to take over Birpara and Garganda tea gardens.”
Pradhan also said that the trade unions that are active in the seven tea gardens had submitted a deputation to the Tea Board in Kolkata on Thursday. The unions demanded that the tea board expedite the process of handing over the ownership of the seven tea gardens to new bidders. Issuing a gazette notification on January 28, the Union commerce and industry ministry directed the tea board to take over the management or control of the seven tea estates of the Duncans as per the provisions of Chapter III A of the Tea Act, 1953 (29 of 1953).
The tea estates are Birpara, Garganda, Lankapara, Tulsipara, Huntapara, Dhumchipara and Demdima. The issue is, however, pending before the Calcutta High Court. The management of these gardens has been defaulting on payment of wages and other statutory benefits to the workers for more than one year.
Mani Kumar Darnal, the president of the National Union of Plantation Workers, said, “First, the high court will have to clear the decks before new companies can take over the management of these crisis-riddled tea gardens.”
Darnal also pointed out that while two companies are biding to take over Birpara and Garganda tea gardens, the tea board is scouting for bidders for other gardens.
Darnal told Hindustan Times that Tea Board officials have also agreed to come to North Bengal to hold one- on- one meetings with the trade unions and stakeholders of all seven gardens taken over by the Centre.
As of April 30 this year, eight tea gardens were closed or abandoned in addition to 14 crisis-ridden gardens owned by the Duncans. The closed tea gardens are Red Bank, Surendra Nagar, Dharanipur, Dekhlapara, Bandapani, Madhu, Panighata and Rahimabad.
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