State grant brings smiles with Puja in closed tea garden

Jalpaiguri: With the support of a state government grant, the closed Raipur Tea Garden in Patkata Panchayat came alive with Durga Puja festivities this year. The state government has provided Rs 85,000 to enable workers to celebrate the festival, bringing joy to an area long marked by adversity and sorrow.

Workers actively participated in the celebrations, erecting a vibrant pandal for the festivities. On the fifth day of the Puja, the idol of Goddess Durga was welcomed into the pandal amid the rhythmic beats of drums, creating an atmosphere of joy and community spirit. Stalls selling fast food, balloons and cap guns delighted children, embodying the festival’s joyous essence.

Family members of the tea garden workers expressed heartfelt gratitude to the state government for facilitating this grand celebration. For over two decades, the Raipur tea garden has faced significant turmoil, marked by frequent ownership changes and factory closures.

Worker Rajni Ghosh shared the garden’s tumultuous history: “The garden first closed on October 17, 2003. After a change in ownership, it reopened in 2009 but closed again after three years. Since 2018, it has been entirely shut.

Currently, some workers pluck leaves for a Siliguri-based owner, earning only Rs 160 per day.” Another worker, Mongla Rajak, lamented the challenges faced by workers: “With the garden closed, provident funds and bonus have been halted. Life is tough for us but during the Puja, we try to forget our worries and focus on bringing smiles to our children.”

Budhuram Oraon reflected on the garden’s decline, stating: “Once, over six hundred workers were employed here. Now, many have sought work elsewhere, with some resorting to stone-breaking in the Dooars to survive.” Laborer Banu Mahali expressed optimism, saying: “We are celebrating with a mix of our wages and the state government grant. The children are thrilled by the pandal’s music and the beats of the dhak (drums). We are grateful to the state for the Rs 85,000 grant that allows us to celebrate puja grandly this year.”

Despite the ongoing crisis at the Raipur Tea Garden, the state government has stepped in to support affected workers by providing free rations and financial assistance through the Financial Assistance for Workers of Lockout Industries (FAWLI) programme, which offers Rs1,500 per month.

Even amid the garden’s closure, the government has ensured access to drinking water, healthcare and support for children’s education.