Four tea gardens reopen in Darjeeling Hills

Amitava Banerjee |  MP  |  13 Dec 2022 | Darjeeling: As many as four closed tea gardens reopened in the Darjeeling Hills on Monday, following a meeting between representatives of the Shree Shree Narayani & Company and operating tea gardens in the presence of Anit Thapa, Chief Executive, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on December 8. 

The management of 10 tea gardens under the Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd (DOTEPL,) formerly popular as the Bansal Group had defaulted wages, salary, bonus, PF, gratuity of the workers and have been operating erratically. 

They have been shut down off and on this year for nonpayment. Since October the gardens were closed down for defaulting bonus payments along with wages and salaries. 

6 gardens, bought over by Lemongrass Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd. had opened on November 28. The remaining 4 including Rangmook Cedar tea estate, Rangaeyrong tea estate, Pandam tea estate and Aloobari tea estate has been taken over by Shree Shree Narayani & Company. 

The meeting resolved that the wages and salaries which are payable till October 23, 2022 would be paid in 3 installments. 

The 1st installment will have to be paid by December 10, 2nd installment by December 25 and 3rd installment and 5 per cent bonus by January 10, 2023. Arrear of wages and salary will be paid in two equal installments in April 2023 and July 2023. Current PF will be paid and the PF dues would and PF dues will be disbursed as per Labour Department directions.

It was also decided that the encroached area of the estate illegally occupied since 1 January will be vacated with the help of tea trade unions. 

"We had committed to reopen the gardens and we have lived up to our commitment. We will hold a review meeting by March 15, 2023 to review the situation and discuss various issues," stated JB Tamang, President of Hill Terai Dooars Plantation Workers Union affiliated to the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. Workers have thanked Thapa; GTA and the new Management for reopening the gardens. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/four-tea-gardens-reopen-in-darjeeling-hills-502048