The North Bengal Industries Association (NBIA) has decided to write to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue of the Trinamul Congress-backed trade union leaders’ high handedness in the tea plantations over the issue of one per cent additional bonus. The NBIA honorary general secretary Surajit Paul, addressing the Press today, said: “ The management of the Tirrihannah Tea Garden in the Terai region in Siliguri has experienced workers’ unrest under the leadership of INTTUC Darjeeling district (plains) president Nirjal Dey. The management had to declare lockout 45 days ago after the manager of the garden was allegedly assaulted by workers.

Though the management informed the authorities concerned about the ongoing problem, that has not yet resolved.” “Since the management had to file a writ petition before the Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court in Jalpaiguri, we on behalf of the NBIA have decided to inform the matter to Chief Minister of West Bengal seeking justice and healthy atmosphere to run the garden peacefully,” Mr Paul said. “The INTTUC leader has prevented the management from selling the produced tea since October last year. The owner of the garden has suffered a huge loss estimated at Rs 2.5 crore.

This appears to be a deliberate tactic to force the owner Ghanshyam Kankani to sell the garden when he was interested in reopening the garden, though labourers, after receiving 18 per cent Puja Bonus, are working in two other divisions,” he said. According to Mr Paul, the labourers’ unrest is going on in the main division of the Tirrihannah Tea Estate.

Notably, the INTTUC president in Darjeeling plains, Nirjal Dey has written to the authorities concerned, including the labour commissioner, on various issues, including the non-payment of Bonus, against the management of the Tirrihannah Tea Estate in October last year. Mr Dey had also written to Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak in November last year seeking his intervention.

When asked to comment Mr Dey said: “When the matter is sub judice I will not comment. But in the interests of workers, we would demand due provident funds amounting to nearly Rs 5 crore and the huge amount of gratuity, which is also pending, before the Court.” The owner of the garden, Mr Kankani said: “We have cleared the PF amount. We have started releasing gratuity in phases.”