GNLF TO GHERAO GTA HEADQUARTER LAL KOTHI ON 4TH MAY

7:30 AM

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Tea Garden

GNLF'S sister wing Himalayan Planters Workers Union [ HPWU] today in a press conference at Darjeeling said that they will gherao GTA headquarter LAL KOTHI on 4th  May demanding the immediate release of the daily wages of the labours which they are yet to receive of the 104 days strike.

Speaking with the press HPWU President JB Tamang said that on 4th May we have decided to involve  workers from all the tea gardens of Darjeeling hills as they are the ones who are discriminated .

  We will be picketing in different places like Rohini, Sukna, Bagpool and Panighata from 27th April where all the central committee members of the HPWU will participate keeping in mind the 7 point demand for the welfare of the tea garden workers said Tamang. He further said we have decided these places for picketing as these places are the main doorway to transport pukka tea to Siliguri from the hills.

Workers from different tea gardens had  participated whole heartedly during the movement for the seperate state Gorkhaland. But the leaders both Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa who were at the forefront during the movement have accepted  GTA , but  they have not taken any step for the tea garden workers said Tamang.

He further said that we are hearing that vice chairman of GTA Anit Thapa is distributing umbrellas to the workers, but they don't need umbrellas they need their wages of 104 days. Since both Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa are not taking any initiative at the demands of the tea garden workers  thus to keep the demands of the workers  we will gherao GTA headquarter on 4th May said Tamang.

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Drinking water crisis in Barakothi in Mirik’s Panighatta tea estate

1:11 PM

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Tea Garden

 Queuing up entire nights for a pail of water

PRASHANT ACHARYA

PANIGHATTA (MIRIK) 27 Mar 2016 The apathy of the political leadership and local administration has left the residents of Barakothi in Mirik’s Panighatta tea estate with no other option but to fetch drinking water from a considerable distance as the water available locally is too contaminated to drink.

The situation is expected to worsen in Barakothi in the coming months unless help comes by way of summer showers to replenish the area’s main water source, which is drying up quickly. There are 133 eligible voters in Barakothi from the 44 households in total, and they want to cast all the 133 votes to that candidate who would succeed in ensuring adequate and clean drinking water supply were he to win.

Barakothi has been deprived of potable water since October 10 last year, the day when the garden was shut down by its Kolkata-based owner. And there is no sign of the garden reopening anytime soon despite several rounds of meetings. When the garden was operational, a tractor used to supply water to Barakothi by fetching it from a source downhill some 1.5km away.

Drinking water crisis- file photo

Now, the residents have to trek the entire distance down to the stream where they have to queue up for hours and sometimes even entire nights for their turn. "The water flows in a trickle and it takes nearly an hour to fill a 20-litre jar,” said 65-year-old Maili Tamangni. “Sometimes during the day the water runs dry due to the heat forcing us to fancy our chances at night.”

Anup Thapa, a government teacher with Sishu Siksha Kendra, said the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has already sanctioned Rs16 lakh for a water project and engineers have inspected neighbouring Potong tea estate where the main source of water is located. He also informed that work is going on to connect a pipeline to the main source, which is about 20km from Barakothi. However, the locals said such assurances come only before elections and nothing changes afterwards.



Via EOI

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