Alipurduar admin initiates action to provide financial aid to workers of closed tea garden

MP, 25 Aug 2024, Alipurduar: The Alipurduar district administration has taken prompt action to ensure that workers from the recently closed Torsa Tea Garden receive their FAWLOI (Financial Assistance to Workers of Locked Out Industry). 

The Torsa Tea Plantation, located in Kalchini Block near the Indo-Bhutan border, along with the Mahua Tea Plantation under the same ownership, was abruptly shut down on August 19.

A notice of suspension of work was posted by the owner on August 21, leaving approximately 750 workers in distress. In response, the Alipurduar district administration acted swiftly. 

According to administrative sources, the FAWLOI benefits for these workers are expected to commence before the upcoming Durga Puja festival. “We have already submitted the closure report to the state government,” confirmed Arthur Horo, the senior official of the Labour department in Alipurduar. 

“We are making every effort to initiate the FAWLOI benefits as quickly as possible.” Robin Rai, General Secretary of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union, added: “The FAWLOI scheme will be implemented before Durga Puja. However, all garden workers must submit the required documents to the administration. The application process for the workers will be completed soon.” 

The closure of the gardens follows a prolonged period of unrest. Workers began protesting in early July, halting work to demand two months’ overdue wages. 

On July 16, the owner left the garden without issuing a formal closure notice, exacerbating tensions. Workers have also reported that electricity services to several workers’ quarters have been disconnected due to the owner’s failure to pay the bills, leading to significant drinking water shortages. 

Despite the owners’ claim of worker dissatisfaction and security concerns in the August 19 notice, efforts to contact Santosh Singh, the garden manager, for further comment were unsuccessful. 

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