A Warm Welcome to New Owner of Kalchini and Raimatang Tea Estates

Workers of Kalchini and Raimatang tea estates in Kalchini block are preparing a warm reception tomorrow for the new owner of the gardens.

Gopinath Das, who has bought the estates from R.K. Konoi of Buxa Dooars Tea Company Ltd, had convened a meeting at the circuit house here yesterday to announce the date on which he would visit the estates. The subdivisional officer of Alipurduar, Saumitra Mohan, and trade union leaders had attended the meet.

For the past three years, operations at the gardens had been irregular. Not only did the management fail to give workers their wages and their ration, it also owed the electricity department Rs 12 lakh. On August 25, the power supply to the two estates was cut off.

In September, seven managers from the two gardens resigned. What followed next was a series of workers’ protests — from stripping the almost century-old European Club brick by brick to arranging road and train blockades.

Finally, the gardens were taken over by Das last week.

Pravat Mukherjee, the general secretary of the National Union of Plantation Workers, affiliated to the Intuc, said: “We are very happy that the district administration took the initiative to hand over the gardens to a new owner. Tomorrow morning, Das will visit the estates and we are planning a warm reception for him.”

Das, who had also bought Dheklapara Tea Garden, said he would first restart the garden hospitals. “I will also talk to the garden leaders regarding the workers’ dues and see to it that the estates run systematically,” he added.

Soure> The Telegraph