Calcutta, July 23: Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said tonight that the stalemate at the tea gardens in North Bengal would end tomorrow when a tripartite meeting is held at Writers’ Buildings.

Today’s meeting failed to reach break the deadlock between the tea garden owners and workers agitating over the introduction of a new pay scale.

“I will be present at the meeting and the workers will get an enhanced pay with effect from April. They will get the arrears payment from April according to the new agreement,” Bhattacharjee said at the Calcutta Press Club.

The first meeting of a few representatives will begin at 11 am at Writers’ Buildings and the final meeting will start at 1.30 pm.

Yesterday, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had claimed that the crisis in the tea sector would end soon. Labour minister Mohammed Amin today said: “We are still hoping that something positive will emerge?the discussion process is on. We are expecting the deadlock to break very soon.”

Management representatives met workers’ unions today in the presence of labour secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty at Writers’ Buildings. Amin was also present for some parts of the discussions, which were held in several rounds from 10.30 am till late tonight.

A management representative, who did not want to be quoted, said after the meeting: “The matter on the wage revision was discussed with a positive outlook, but nothing can be said on whether it was agreed upon by both parties unless an agreement is signed.”

A union member present at the meeting said a few other issues like clearing of arrears are expected to be resolved tomorrow.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has planned a mass convention in north Bengal to highlight the plight of tea garden workers affected by the strike. “The ruling CPM is not serious about tackling the problems affecting tea garden workers,” she alleged.