Rajganj, 15th May: After a prolonged closure of six months, the Bani Tea Garden in Gadheaganj of Bandhunagar, Rajganj, resumed operations on Wednesday. The re-opening event was witnessed by labor leaders, workers, and the tea estate owners marking a significant moment of relief for the workers.
According to reports, the estate has been shut down six months prior due to a disagreement between the management and the workers over the puja bonus, leading several workers to become unemployed. However, the matter came close to being resolved after a tripartite meeting held at the Jalpaiguri Labor Department under the initiative of INTTUC Jalpaiguri district president Tapan Dey, which included representatives from the tea workers, estate management, and the labor department. As a result, the tea estate was scheduled to be re-opened on Wednesday morning.
In this regard, Tapan Dey expressed his satisfaction and declared that the decision was made after several meetings and the owners have agreed to pay the 15 percent bonus owing to the workers in two installments. Tea Estate owner Gautam Dutta acknowledged the issues and stated that the bonus would be distributed in two installments.