Tea Garden in Darjeeling suddenly shuts down, 400 workers become jobless

Ashapur Tea Garden in Naxalbari, Darjeeling, has abruptly closed down, rendering approximately 400 laborers jobless. The closure, which occurred without any prior notice, is allegedly the result of the garden management absconding after failing to pay the workers their backlog wages.

The tea garden had reopened on October 5, following the Durga Puja celebrations. At the time of reopening, management promised the workers that their pending wages would be cleared after they received the 20 percent Puja bonus. However, this promise was not kept, leading to severe discontent among the workforce.

In protest against the non-payment of their dues, the tea workers had ceased work for the past two days, demanding the settlement of their backlog. According to the laborers, an outstanding amount equivalent to four and a half weeks of wages is yet to be paid.

The situation escalated dramatically on Thursday night when the tea garden officials and manager abruptly fled the premises, locking the factory gates behind them without issuing any formal intimation. Workers were greeted by the locked gates on Friday morning, confirming their fears that the garden had been abandoned.

Following the sudden and illegal closure, Darjeeling District INTTUC President, Nirjal De, voiced strong condemnation of the management’s actions. He announced that a formal complaint regarding the matter has been lodged with the Additional Labour Commissioner.