Alipurduar: Two Dooars tea estates closed for almost two years
will reopen on February 5, the decision coming after an intervention by
the state ahead of rural polls this year.
The Huntapara and Garganda in Alipurduar district are owned by
the Calcutta-based Duncan Goenka Group. Sources said the group had
handed over the reins of the two gardens, shut since April 2015, to
another tea company that has estates in the Dooars.
"Duncans has not transferred ownership but has only assigned
operational powers to the new company. It is good that finally, the
gardens will reopen, just ahead of the new season," said a source.
In Alipurduar district, the Duncan Goenka Group has eight tea estates, all shut since2015.
Sources said the decision was taken at a tripartite meeting held on
Monday at the state labour department office in Calcutta. "At the
meeting, representatives of the other tea company were present along
with those from Duncans. It was decided that the new company will run
the garden," a union leader said.
The decision brings to the fore Trinamul's desperation to
ensure all estates of Duncans reopen ahead of the rural elections in
which garden workers account for a large chunk of voters. Huntapara has
1,780 permanent workers and Garganda 1,360.
Also, Trinamul leaders have been insisting that the Centre has done nothing to reopen closed gardens.
"Trinamul leaders, including chief minister Mamata Banerjee,
have criticised the Centre time and again for its failure to reopen the
gardens of the Duncan Goenka Group. It has helped the party (Trinamul)
build its base in the tea belt of Dooars," said an observer.
The observer pointed that if the state failed to persuade the
tea major from reopening the remaining gardens, the BJP is certain make
it an issue in the rural polls.
"We are happy that the (two) gardens will reopen. The Centre
had declared that it would reopen the gardens but failed. The state
ministers, our party leaders and officials at the state labour
department are trying to facilitate reopening of the remaining four
gardens of Duncans at the earliest," said Mohon Sharma, president of the
Cha Bagan Trinamul Congress Mazdoor Union.
The Telegraph
