Prasanna’s arrest leaves Samsing tea estate in peril

The alleged close associate of Partha Chatterjee was nabbed by CBI in connection with School Service Commission scam

The entrance to the Samsing tea garden.: File picture

TT Correspondent   |   Jalpaiguri   |   07.09.22 : The management of Samsing tea estate which has around 1,500 workers and their families has announced that it cannot continue operations in the garden from September 1 because of financial constraints.

The garden located in Matialli block of Jalpaiguri district is being run by Prasanna Kumar Roy, who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the alleged School Service Commission scam, and his brother.

Last month, the CBI had taken into custody Prasanna, who is allegedly a close associate of former state minister Partha Chatterjee.

After his arrest, workers of Samsing and Bamandanga-Tondu, another tea estate in the Dooars, were apprehending that the gardens’ operations would be affected.

On Monday, a representative of Samsing Organic Tea Private Limited sent a letter to Moumita Godara Basu, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, mentioning that as the “fund management became completely uncertain, it may not be possible on our part to continue the operations beyond 1st September, 2022”.

In the letter, the management has also requested the district magistrate to “find ways and means so that the workers/employees can continue with the livelihood”.

Simultaneously, the company said it would clear the due wages and salaries of the workers and the employees for August and also the bonus.

Sources said Prasanna had earlier bought both the tea estates. Last year, he transferred the gardens to his brother Jayanta but would take care of the finances himself.

The management cannot simply abandon the garden in such a manner. The administration and the state government should take steps to confirm that the workers do not turn jobless,” said Dinesh Rai, a leader of the Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union in the garden.

Joseph Munda, a former MLA and a trade union leader of Trinamul, said they have asked the management to find a new investor.

“This is an inappropriate decision. Why should the workers suffer? With the help of the administration, they should find someone who can run the garden,” he said.

The letter has also made the administration to act. Basu, the district magistrate, said she has asked the state labour department to intervene.

“A tripartite meeting would be held at the labour department’s office in Malbazar on Wednesday to resolve the issue,” she said.