Vivek Chhetri
Darjeeling, Jan. 20: Opposition to the state's decision to hand over the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation's gardens to private parties is slowly brewing in the hills with local leaders of the Trinamool Congress, GNLF, CPRM and the CPI forming a joint committee to protest the transfer.
The WBTDC owns Pandam, Rangaroon and Rangmuk-Cedar gardens in the hills and they are set to be leased out to the Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt Ltd of the Ambootia group through a competitive bidding. The WBTDC owns two other tea gardens also - Mohua and Hilla in the Dooars - and the government is yet to start the tender process to lease them out to private parties.
Local leaders of Trinamul, GNLF, CPRM and the CPI formed the joint committee in Rangmuk-Cedar on January 17. "We want the state government to carry on managing the gardens. The workers have not been taken into confidence before the government decided to float tenders. They are feeling insecure and we will oppose the entry of a private party," said Tilam Khaling, president of the committee and a local leader of the CPI.
Basu Gurung, vice-president of Trinamul's trade union in the garden, said: "We have not received information from our union leaders. Since workers are fearing for their future, we cannot support the entry of private players into the garden."
The committee members said at the moment the forum had been formed only at Rangmuk-Cedar. "We are confident that workers from other two gardens will also join us to voice their protest. Some people from the other two gardens are contacting us," said Bhupen Chhetri, a leader of the CPRM at Rangmuk-Cedar.
While Pandam estate employs 268 workers, Rangaroon and Rangmuk-Cedar gardens have 195 and 1935 workers, respectively.
Source: Telegraph
Darjeeling, Jan. 20: Opposition to the state's decision to hand over the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation's gardens to private parties is slowly brewing in the hills with local leaders of the Trinamool Congress, GNLF, CPRM and the CPI forming a joint committee to protest the transfer.
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| Hills Protest on lease of govt tea gardens - file photo |
The WBTDC owns Pandam, Rangaroon and Rangmuk-Cedar gardens in the hills and they are set to be leased out to the Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt Ltd of the Ambootia group through a competitive bidding. The WBTDC owns two other tea gardens also - Mohua and Hilla in the Dooars - and the government is yet to start the tender process to lease them out to private parties.
Local leaders of Trinamul, GNLF, CPRM and the CPI formed the joint committee in Rangmuk-Cedar on January 17. "We want the state government to carry on managing the gardens. The workers have not been taken into confidence before the government decided to float tenders. They are feeling insecure and we will oppose the entry of a private party," said Tilam Khaling, president of the committee and a local leader of the CPI.
Basu Gurung, vice-president of Trinamul's trade union in the garden, said: "We have not received information from our union leaders. Since workers are fearing for their future, we cannot support the entry of private players into the garden."
The committee members said at the moment the forum had been formed only at Rangmuk-Cedar. "We are confident that workers from other two gardens will also join us to voice their protest. Some people from the other two gardens are contacting us," said Bhupen Chhetri, a leader of the CPRM at Rangmuk-Cedar.
While Pandam estate employs 268 workers, Rangaroon and Rangmuk-Cedar gardens have 195 and 1935 workers, respectively.
Source: Telegraph
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