Soon, financial aid to workers of 3 locked out tea gardens

Darjeeling: In this hour of crisis, finally there is good tiding for the workers of the locked-out Dooteriah, Peshok and Kalej Valley Tea estates. The workers of these gardens will be receiving Financial Assistance To the Lock Out Industrial Units (FAWLOI).

The Dooteriah, Peshok and Kalej Valley Tea estates in the Darjeeling Hills have

been closed since 2015 but no official lockout notice had been served.

In September 2019, the state government had these three gardens officially locked out and had announced FAWLOI of Rs 1,500 per worker per month.

"2,133 workers will be receiving Rs 37,500 each through their bank accounts as FAWLOI immediately. The process is on for the remaining 417 workers. They will also receive the amount at the earliest. This amount will emerge as a big help for the workers of those tea gardens in this hour of crisis. We express our gratitude to the state government for this," stated Binoy Tamang, president, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The three gardens were owned by the Alchemist Group that later changed hands to Trident. The management had abandoned the gardens and stopped paying wages and salaries due to which the gardens closed down.

Dooteriah tea garden has 1,354 labourers, Kalej has 642 and Peshok has 570 labourers.