CM: Nothing done after tea takeover - Mamata urges Centre to ensure wages for Duncans' 'nowhere' workers

Avijit Sinha and Anirban Choudhury, TT, Alipurduar, June 28: Mamata Banerjee today alleged "nothing had happened" in the seven Duncans tea gardens whose management control the Centre took over in January and urged the Union government to ensure the workers of these closed units got wages and other benefits.

The chief minister drew attention to the welfare measures her government had taken for the workers of the 14 Duncans gardens in the Dooars.

On January 28, the Centre invoked a rarely used section of the Tea Act of 1953 and asked the Tea Board of India to take over the management control of the seven Duncans gardens in Alipurduar, saying they "are being managed in a manner highly detrimental to the tea industry and to public interest".

Mamata today said the state government had taken the initiative to reopen the remaining seven Duncans gardens in the Dooars and the workers in these estates were getting wages, unlike those in the gardens whose management control has been acquired by the Centre.

"The seven tea estates that the Centre had said it would take over - nothing has happened in those gardens so far.... We will take up the matter with the Centre," the chief minister said after holding an administrative review meeting in Alipurduar.

"The state government did a lot and got Duncans to reopen the remaining gardens. They have been paying wages to their workers. But the gardens the Centre had decided to take over, all of them are closed now. We provide food grain and medical help to the workers and even pay their electricity bills. We have done a lot," Mamata added.

The state government has been providing rice at Rs 2 a kg and free medical aid to the workers of 22 gardens in north Bengal, including the 14 Duncans estates.

The chief minister urged the Centre to pay wages and other benefits to the workers of the seven Duncans gardens, saying the labourers had been "left nowhere".

"Before the elections, the Centre had said it would acquire the tea estates, but the workers of these gardens have been left nowhere. The Centre should take necessary steps," she added.

Duncans workers have alleged irregular wage payment since April last year and deaths due to suspected malnutrition at the gardens. The CID is probing a complaint by a worker alleging non-payment of wages.

Duncans had appealed in Calcutta High Court against the Centre's order. The court has directed the tea board to go ahead with the process of finding new investors for the gardens whose management control has been taken over.

Santosh Sarangi, the chairman of the tea board, said: "None of the gardens has been taken over by the tea board. Only steps to pass on the management control of the tea gardens have been taken. We had called for an expression of interest for the gardens. For three gardens, bids have been received and they are being evaluated. A fresh expression of interest for the four other gardens has been issued. Till the time the management is handed over to the bidders, paying wages to workers is the responsibility of Duncans."

At today's review meeting, Mamata discussed the possibility of reopening six tea estates that are lying closed for several years.

"There are six other tea estates which are lying closed for several years. We are planning to adopt a policy in this regard. A review of these tea estates will be done and wherever it is possible, the state will take over the garden and auction it. If we get a good buyer, the garden can be reopened. If required, we can even allow the new investor to carry out agricultural activities on a portion of the land. This can help the cause of the workers," Mamata said.

In 2014, the state government cancelled the land lease of four of the six gardens - Dheklapara, Bundapani, Redbank and Dharanipur - as their owners appeared reluctant to reopen them.

A state government does not have the authority to take over and auction tea gardens. This can be done by invoking the Tea Act, which only the Centre can do.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY R SURYAMURTHY