New owner to give a facelift to the four tea gardens

With a plan to invest Rs 100 crore in the tea industry in the next three years, Gopinath Das promises to give a new lease of life not only to the four gardens — Dekhlapara, Raimatang, Kalchini and Shikarpur — that he has bought, but also to the region as a whole.

The entrepreneur who was today welcomed by more than 1,000 workers of Raimatang and Kalchini tea estates said he was overwhelmed by the reception.

“I will ensure that the workers get their dues and the gardens function systematically,” Das said. Amid shouts of aap hamare liye bhagawan hai hum logoko bachaiye (You are god. Save us), he made his way to the Kalchini garden factory around 8.30 am. Das later visited Raimatang.

Das outlined some of the plans that he has in store for the region. He said to promote tea tourism he would start helicopter services from Bagdogra to the four gardens. The 18 bungalows of Kalchini and Raimatang — around 40 km from Alipurduar — will also be renovated for visitors. A golf course is also in the pipeline.

“We will also make a documentary on north Bengal which will be screened across the world to attract tourists. I am spending Rs 4 lakh to complete it,” said Das.

Elaborating his plans for the gardens, Das said 60 per cent of the tea bushes would be uprooted since they were almost a century old.

“I have taken a risk and want to show the world that it is worth it,” he said.

Soure > The Telegraph