At least 10 tea gardens in Darjeeling Hills have been completely shut down, with more closures likely if the ongoing agitation continues. Workers are demanding an additional 4 per cent bonus, despite the state government’s advisory to pay a 16 per cent bonus.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has informed both chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal about the dire situation in the region, focusing on the plight of tea workers affected by the shutdowns.
Bista highlighted that the closures, or garden owners abandoning their properties, have pushed workers into severe financial distress.
Mr Bista urged Mr Goyal to intervene on behalf of the workers, many of whom are struggling after losing their livelihoods. He also appealed to CM Ms Banerjee to extend her support to workers in distress, criticising the state labour department for failing to address key issues, such as the implementation of fair wages and bonuses under the new labour codes.
According to Mr Bista, 10 of the region’s 87 tea gardens have been closed, including Panighatta (since 2008), Dothria (since 2015), Rungmook Cedars, Moonda Kothi, Ambotia, Chong Thong, Nagari (all since 2021), Pandam and Peshok (since 2024), and Singtom (since August 2024).
The department has also been accused of neglecting the demands of workers from two additional gardens, Long View and Ringtong, whose management refused to follow the state’s 16 per cent bonus advisory. Workers from these gardens have been staging a hunger strike throughout the Durga Puja and Dashain festivals, demanding their rightful bonus, but no labour department officials have addressed their concerns.
In his plea to the CM, Mr Bista warned that failure to resolve these issues could lead to further unrest across North Bengal. He also called on Mr Goyal to invoke the Tea Act of 1953, which empowers the Tea Board of India to take over distressed estates, and suggested the possibility of running the gardens as worker cooperatives under the ministry of cooperation.
Mr Bista emphasised the urgency of helping the over 15,000 tea garden families who are on the brink of poverty due to the prolonged shutdowns.