Workers suffer as no takers for sick tea gardens in North Bengal

HT, 3 Dec 2016, SILIGURI: The reopening of Birpara tea garden on November 23 after a long stalemate during which the workers did not get wages or any other statutory benefits for months is a testimony to the fact that the process of acquiring and handing over the sick tea estates to a new owner is very cumbersome.

Birpara tea garden, owned by the Duncans, which was taken over by the Tea Board of India, finally went back to the old owner as the court cases and other factors nullified the Centre’s move to find a new taker.

The Union commerce and industry ministry had on January 28 issued a gazette notification directing the Tea Board of India to take over seven tea gardens owned by the Duncans which were defaulting on the payment of wages and other benefits to the workers for months. All the seven gardens — Birpara, Garganda, Lankapara, Tulsipara, Huntapara, Dhumchipara and Demdima— are located in Alipurduar.

However, the Tea Board could not effectively implement the decision owing to the pending court proceedings and the workers’ misery worsened. Finally, it was decided that the Duncans would continue to run the gardens and all the seven estates would be reopened by March 31, 2017.

As per the decision reached by all the stakeholders, Birpara reopened on November 23 and the workers were paid Rs 1,000 each. Hantapara is likely to be reopened by December 31.

The trade union workers with whom Hindustan Times talked to said that it is the workers who suffered for months as the Centre’s decision to take over seven gardens failed to bring any positive change. Though well intended, it actually complicated the situation, they said.

The senior vice-president of Terai Dooars Plantation Workers Union, which is affiliated with Trinamool, Nakul Sonar, said, “We will hold a meeting with all the stakeholders to discuss the workers’ dues in the first week of June.”

The president of Dooars Cha Bagan Workers Union affiliated to the RSP, Gopal Pradhan, said “The high court has asked the Duncans to run the gardens for an interim period.”

A senior labour officer said that the immediate aim is to rejuvenate the tea gardens and the workers have decided to cooperate with the management which has promised to look into the demand of clearing the pending dues after June 2017.