Calcutta, Sept. 20: The adviser to the commissioner of the Supreme Court, Anuradha Talwar, has told the apex institution that 10 people have died ? two of them from starvation ? between July 6 and August 27 this year at Raipur Tea Estate in Jalpaiguri district.

The court had appointed the commissioner to look into matters related to hunger and starvation and to ensure that orders passed by it from time to time were followed. The commissioner engaged NGOs to conduct surveys and ensure liaison between garden workers and the government.

“I have submitted my findings to the Supreme Court after conducting a detailed survey. A copy of our findings, observations and recommendations, has also been sent to the government,’’ Talwar said.

According to the report, Raipur Tea Estate, which is 8 km from Jalpaiguri town, had shut down on October 17, 2003. It reopened in March 2005 after an agreement with estate employees that they would work for half the wages. However, the garden was abandoned by its owners on July 5.

With no work, the workers were deprived of basic amenities, including food, water and healthcare. The administration failed to provide the employees with even two meals a day and medicines.

Despite having several centrally-funded schemes for the economically weaker sections at its disposal, the government failed to make use of them. “We found 10 people have died since the date of closure. In at least two cases ? Sunita Suwasi and Phulmani Suwasi ? the cause of death mentioned by the garden doctor in the hospital register was cardio-respiratory failure due to malnutrition and severe anaemia,” says the report.

Talwar has given several suggestions to the government to improve the workers’ lives. These include resumption of the Annapurna Yojna ensuring 15 days’ work in a month, monthly payment of Rs 500 under the assistance to workers of locked-out industries scheme, opening of an anganwadi centre and efforts to recover their dues from the employer.