Alipurduar, Oct. 29 -- Amid growing concerns over the worsening tea industry crisis in North Bengal, the BJP-backed Bharatiya Tea Workers Union met Labour Minister Arjun Singh in Kolkata, seeking urgent intervention to reopen closed tea gardens and clear workers' outstanding dues.
At least 25 tea gardens across Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts are reportedly closed or non-operational, according to preliminary information. In Alipurduar district alone, eight gardens have reportedly shut down or become non-operational since Durga Puja. Industry observers fear that the situation could deteriorate further during the lean season in December.
Rajesh Barla, general secretary of the Bharatiya Tea Workers Union, said the meeting focused on finding ways to revive the affected gardens and address workers' financial concerns.
"The meeting with the Labour Minister went very well. Several tea gardens in North Bengal are currently closed or non-operational. The Labour Minister has assured us that the state government will take steps to reopen them at the earliest. We will also approach prospective new owners to explore the possibility of reopening these gardens," Barla said.
He indicated that the government and the union may explore alternative arrangements to facilitate the reopening of the gardens. According to Barla, prospective companies taking over closed gardens would be required to clear workers' outstanding dues, with the state government extending assistance where necessary. Instalment-based payments of arrears may also be considered. "We are hopeful that several companies will show interest in taking over closed and non-operational gardens," he said.
However, industry observers believe reopening the gardens alone will not resolve the sector's underlying financial crisis. Some tea garden owners claim that tea prices have remained largely stagnant over the past 15 years, while production costs have doubled, leaving management struggling to invest in operations and infrastructure.
The crisis has intensified despite several initiatives by the state government to support the tea industry. Ministers, including the Chief Minister and Labour Minister, have visited tea gardens across North Bengal, while proposals to improve the sector, including aspects of the Assam model, have been discussed. The Centre has also allocated Rs 313 crore for tea garden development.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.