Jalpaiguri: A protest over delayed wages turned tense at Bamandanga Tea Estate in Nagrakata, prompting management to declare a “suspension of work” on Friday, leaving 1,167 workers jobless.
Workers were due to receive their fortnightly wages on August 22, but payments were not made despite repeated assurances. On Thursday, angered workers intercepted estate manager Mrityunjay Choudhury’s car near the Tondu division, forced him to get down and walk nearly six kilometres to the estate office.
Estate owner Rittik Bhattacharya said the decision to shut the garden was unavoidable: “The manager was harassed, creating an atmosphere of insecurity. Staff members no longer feel safe, so closure was the only option.”
Choudhury echoed this, saying: “The estate’s condition is not good, but wages were being paid regularly. We would have cleared the pending dues as well. I never thought I would be humiliated like this.”
Workers, however, insisted the protest was a result of repeated delays. “The manager kept making promises, but apart from wages, we got no benefits. He was only made to walk, not harassed,” said worker Simla Majhi. Jalpaiguri Deputy Labour Officer Shubhagata Gupta confirmed that a tripartite meeting has been called on September 1.