Poverty claims another tea garden worker in N Bengal

A 50-year-old worker of a closed tea garden of the Duncan Group died on Saturday night allegedly due to lack of proper treatment. 

Ram Bahadur Serki, who was a worker of Gergenda Tea Garden near Birpara, was suffering from lever ailment. 

Family members of Sirki alleged that he died due to lack of proper treatment. He was undergoing treatment at a local health centre, after which he was admitted to a hospital. Sirki’s condition deteriorated further in the past few days. He died on Saturday night.

Like family members of many other workers of closed tea gardens, Serki’s family had also tried to arrange some money for his treatment and to give him some good food. 

But they failed and blamed the closed tea garden for their present condition. The victim’s family members had waited for many days to get some sort of financial assistance from their employers. But it has been alleged that they are yet to get any help. 

Bentick Dungdong, a 65-year-old worker of a closed tea garden of Duncan Group died on December 13. His family members had also alleged that he died as they had failed to provide him proper treatment due to financial problem.  

The Duncan Group chairman has already been asked by the state government to take necessary steps to revive the condition of the tea gardens. The group’s chairman has also been questioned by the Central Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the payment of the salaries of the workers of the closed tea gardens. Two persons belonging to a tribal community had died in closed tea gardens in North Bengal in the second week of December. 

It may be mentioned that around 12 people, who were involved with tea gardens, died in the past few months. Several tea gardens were closed in the area since several months.