Happy Valley Tea Estate to reopen while Singtom shuts down

Darjeeling: While the Singtom-Steinthal Tea Estate has been shut down, the Happy Valley Tea Estate is all set to reopen from Wednesday. Both the tea gardens are located in Darjeeling town.

The management of Singtom-Steinthal Tea Estate, in a letter to the Assistant Labour Commissioner, has complained of "wrong practices" and arm twisting by the workers, which in turn has forced them to suspend operations and leave the garden.

The same letter was pasted on the factory gate on Sunday afternoon. The letter alleges that the atmosphere in the garden remained highly charged and resulted in a manager resigning on December 31, 2019.

"We are left with no alternative but to withdraw ourselves from the estate unless we are given written assurances of being able to run the garden peacefully. If the workers continue to work they will do so at their own risk and responsibility," stated the letter.

The Unions, meanwhile, have dubbed the allegations as false and in turn written to the ALC, setting up preconditions for the garden to become functional. "The preconditions include payment of pending bonus, wages, gratuity and PF, along with filling up of vacancies," stated Lalit Gurung, unit president, Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union.

In another development, a meeting between management representatives and operating trade unions chaired by the Additional Labour Commissioner, North Bengal Zone, resolved that the Happy Valley Tea Graden would become functional from February 26.