Alipurduar: Four tea gardens reopen ahead of Mamata’s visit

Alipurduar: In a significant move, four closed tea gardens in Alipurduar district reopened on Monday, just ahead of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s upcoming visit. This marks a major recovery for the local tea industry.

Torsa Tea Garden, located near the India-Bhutan border in Kalchini block, along with Kalchini and Raimatang tea gardens, reopened sequentially from morning to afternoon. Additionally, Dalmore Tea Garden in Madarihat Birpara block resumed operations following a successful tripartite meeting. A similar meeting concerning Mechpara Tea Garden, also closed recently, is scheduled for Tuesday, with hopes of its reopening soon.

Torsa Tea Garden has been taken over by the Majherdabri Tea Garden authority in Alipurduar. Kalchini and Raimatang tea gardens are now managed by Merchant Monger Agrotech Private Limited, which also oversees two other gardens in Jalpaiguri district. Company Director Ritwik Bhattacharya said: “We have followed the state’s current SOP and reached a bilateral agreement with the garden trade union. Outstanding salaries and bonuses for the workers will be paid in stages according to the agreement.”

Meanwhile, the tripartite meeting regarding Dalmore Tea Garden was held on Monday afternoon at the Alipurduar District Administrative Building, ‘Dooars Kanya’, where a decision to reopen the garden was made. Joint Labour Commissioner Gautam Biswas expressed optimism about the future of these estates, stating: “We are hopeful that every garden will progress very well in the coming days.”

Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik expressed his gratitude to the CM, saying: “Thanks to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Labor Minister Maloy Ghatak, the gardens have reopened swiftly. If any garden owner deliberately closes an estate for three consecutive months, they will face legal action, including the cancellation of the lease.”