Jairam Ramesh to revive tea gardens in North Bengal

Siliguri May 17 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh has planned to revive the tea gardens in North Bengal at any cost, for which he would be visiting the town today.

His order was to immediately open five out the 14 closed tea gardens. Although five gardens have been ordered to be opened, the fate of the remaining nine is still unknown.

Fourteen tea gardens, including Ramjora Tea estate, Chamurchi Tea garden, Kathalguri Tea Garden, Bamondanga and Tondoo Tea Estate, Samsing Tea Estate, Chinchula Tea Estate, Bharnobari Tea Estate, Kalchini Tea Estate, Shikarpur and Bhandarpur Tea Estate, Dheklapara Tea Garden, Raipur Tea estate, Kebank Tea Estate and Surendranagar Tea Garden, were closed down a long time back.

Surendranagar is going to be opened today. Samsing and Bamondanga have been ordered to be opened on June 29 and Kalchini and Rainatang will be opened on July 15.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Government has cancelled the lease of three tea gardens -- Ramjhora, Kathalguri and Dheklapara.

However, the Central Government has taken steps to eradicate the existing problem in North Bengal, official sources added.

Among the nine tea gardens that have been closed down, Ramjhora employed 1103 workers and was closed down on August 10, 2002.

Chamurchi, which was closed down in 2001 employed 1,047 workers.

Kathalguri was closed on July 22, 2002, 1,147 workers of this garden are still jobless.

Red Bank, with its 881 workers, closed down in 2004.

Chinchula was closed down in 2005. Bharnobari was closed down on December 30, 2005. These tea gardens are having workers of 1350 and 1856 respectively.

Raipur had been abandoned since July 5, 2005, there was 560 workers at the period of its running.

Shikarpur-and-Bhanderpur was closed down on October 18, 2005 with 1545 tea workers.

Dheklapara was locked out on March 8, 2005 and had 604 workers.

Since these gardens were closed down, the workers are now jobless.

However, no initiative was taken by the state government to alleviate the situation, president of Darjeeling district INTUC Committee Alok Chakraborty said, adding, ''We have faith on the state government. They have not yet take any action against the garden owners. Now we would plead the Central Government and urge them to take some action.'' North Bengal Tea plantation Employees' Union Assistant Secretary Abhijit Roy said, ''There were many factors behind this condition of tea gardens.'' Mr Roy also said that although the owners have taken loans from banks for the development of tea gardens, the amount was never utilised for the purpose.

UNI