Strike leaves no impact on tea gardens

Darjeeling, Dec 14 (UNI) The Left trade unions-sponsored 24-hour nationwide strike left virtually no impact on the tea gardens in North Bengal.

The strike was called to protest the UPA government's economic and industrial policies.

According to reports reaching here, the workers in most of the 86 -odd tea estates in the hills reported to work except a few in the foothills, where the CITU was a dominant force.

Most of the tea estates are dominated by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)-sponsored union.

However, all government offices, markets, banks and other eastablishments remained closed and vehicles were off the roads.

Thousands of tourists took part in different cultural programmes of the ongoing Darjeeling carnival.

In the plains of Siliguri and Jalpaiguri district, where INTUC ruled the roost, most of the 400 tea estates were open.

INTUC had already declared that it would not take part in the strike.

Meanwhile, the bandh supporters broke windowpanes and ransacked furniture of ICICI Prudential Insurance company office and Jet Airways office at College Para and Siliguri Juction respectively.

However, there was no report of any casualty, police said.

UNI XC PC SJC SK RK1320