Kalchini (Alipurduar), Jan. 3: Tea workers of four closed estates staged an agitation before the Jalpaiguri district magistrate (DM) when he went on a recce of the gardens in Kalchini block, 35 km from Alipurduar town, today.

Ramchandra Ranjit, the DM, was accompanied by other district officials and zilla parishad members. The group toured Kalchini, Chinchula, Raimatang and Bharnabari, the four closed gardens of the block.

At Kalchini garden, workers of Gudam Line blocked the DM’s vehicle and demanded that the closed garden be opened at once. A similar situation awaited him when half-an-hour later Ranjit made his way to Raimatang, before a short tour of Chinchula.

At Raimatang as the DM got down from his car in front of the main gate of the factory, more than 100 workers and their family members demanded that the estate be opened at once.

Since Ranjit remained silent and inquired about the register of the Operating Management Committee instead, he was faced with more protests. Women shouted at him and threatened to attack the office of the Kalchini BDO, if the DM failed to do anything about the closed garden.

The workers alleged that the district magistrate’s “indifference” had irked them. “He did not bother to inquire about how we live,” said one of the workers.

Describing the state of affairs in the closed garden, Manbahadur Chhetry a worker of Raimatang, said they have been going without potable water in the garden from December 11. “We are bringing water from Bhatpara, 4 km from here. Even in this cold weather, we have to queue up for water from 4 am. Children have stopped going to school. If nothing is done to end the crisis, it will become another Dalgaon,” Chhetry said.

In 2003, a mob of several hundred tea garden workers had attacked the house of former Citu leader Tarakeshwar Lohar in Dalgaon tea estate and burnt to death 19 people in a chilling turn to a dispute over jobs.

Ranjit, however, admitted that the condition of the tea estate was not good. “We will send a report to the panchayat and rural development department soon. A number of tubewells have to be dug and we will also provide diesel to run water pumps. I have also instructed the block medical officer of Kalchini to organise camps in the closed gardens from tomorrow. We are trying our best to open the estates but nobody is coming forward.”