Fulbari, 12th July: West Bengal Labour and Transport Minister Arjun Singh on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting at Uttar Kanya to review the situation of closed tea gardens in North Bengal, focusing on workers’ welfare, pending dues, and the possibility of reopening the estates.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State Anandamay Barman, Labour Department Secretary, North Bengal Development Minister Nisith Pramanik, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga, Jalpaiguri MP Jayanta Kumar Roy, MLAs from various districts, representatives of the district administration, officials from the Labour Commissionerate and the Tea Directorate, trade union representatives, and management representatives of the closed tea gardens.
Discussions centred on the condition of more than 30 closed tea gardens across North Bengal, with key issues including unpaid wages, provident fund (PF), gratuity, social security benefits, and measures to facilitate the reopening of the gardens while safeguarding workers’ interests.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Arjun Singh said that several tea gardens have remained closed, with some allegedly operating illegally while others were deliberately shut down. He warned that tea garden owners who fail to clear workers’ pending PF, gratuity, and wages would face strict legal action, including imprisonment if necessary.
The Minister said the state government has already issued a strong warning to defaulting owners and made it clear that violations of labour laws would not be tolerated.
He further announced that owners who have illegally closed tea gardens or violated labour regulations have been given a one-month deadline to comply with government directives. Failure to do so, he said, would result in legal proceedings and possible imprisonment.