Tense Standoff in Dooars Tea Estates Over Bonus Payments

Rajdeep Mondal | MP  |  26 Sept 2025 | Jalpaiguri: In a dramatic escalation over bonus payments, the manager of Dharanipur Tea Estate, Rajen Indowar, who had been confined inside his bungalow by workers, quietly escaped on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, at Debpara Tea Estate, workers forced manager Uttam Sengupta out of the garden in protest, intensifying tensions across both estates.

At Dharanipur Tea Estate in Nagrakata Block, around 375 workers had confined Indowar to his bungalow since Wednesday, demanding the state government-declared 20 per cent bonus in cash, along with pending wages. Police were deployed outside the bungalow as workers maintained a continuous vigil.

According to worker Bishni Oraon, the manager managed to escape around 8 a.m. Thursday by removing wooden planks from a broken door at the back.

Garden workers’ leader Gobin Oraon said: “We did nothing to harm him. Why did he flee instead of paying the bonus in cash?”

Speaking over the phone, Rajen Indowar said: “I was locked inside without food and felt unsafe. With help from a few workers, I managed to escape. We had planned to pay a 10 per cent bonus on Friday, as per our capacity.”

Meanwhile, at Debpara Tea Estate in Banarhat Block, nearly 900 workers forced manager Uttam Sengupta out of the estate on Wednesday over unpaid bonuses. The workers demanded that he bring the bonus money directly from the owners.

Estate authorities had announced a 10 per cent bonus, but the workers, who have been protesting for three days and refusing to work, insist on receiving the full 20 per cent.