Jalpaiguri: On the eve of Durga Puja, around 2,500 workers of Chamurchi, Redbank and Surendranagar tea gardens in the Dooars are facing an unprecedented crisis. Without prior notice, the three gardens were abruptly closed late Thursday night, reportedly abandoned by their owners, leaving workers and their families uncertain about their livelihoods.
Since Friday morning, workers have gathered outside the factories in protest. Workers of Redbank and Surendranagar blocked National Highway 17 in anger for two hours, while Chamurchi workers marched toward the India-Bhutan border road. Local sources reveal that these gardens had long-standing arrears in workers’ wages. Despite these delays, work had continued until the sudden closures. The situation has been further aggravated by the gardens’ earlier notification to the labor department that they would be unable to pay the Durga Puja bonus at the state-mandated rate of 20 percent.
Gopal Sharma, a worker at Chamurchi, said: “The garden was closed without any notice. Wages were already pending and now work has stopped again. There is no rice at home and the education and medical needs of our children are uncertain.”
While Redbank and Surendranagar share ownership, Chamurchi has a different proprietor. Nevertheless, the simultaneous closures have sparked fear and rumors among workers across all three gardens. The Labour department, upon learning of the incident, dispatched officials to the area. Sub-Divisional Labor Officer Shubhagata Gupta stated: “Separate meetings have been scheduled to address the crisis: Chamurchi on September 13 and 16, and Redbank and Surendranagar on September 18. Authorities assured that immediate assistance for affected workers is being planned.”
According to sources familiar with the owners’ side, the gardens had proposed giving the Durga Puja bonus at 8.33 per cent, lower than the 20 per cent mandated by the state. When the government did not respond, the management reportedly vacated the gardens late Thursday night.
With Durga Puja approaching, tea workers’ families are left anxious. Nearly 2,500 individuals across the three non-operational gardens now face sudden unemployment, with no clarity on wages, bonuses, or future work. Efforts to contact the owners of the three gardens have so far been unsuccessful.