Alipurduar, Jan. 1: With the start of the lean season in the tea industry, the management of a garden in the Dooars has abandoned the estate without any notice.

The workers of Kadombini Garden in the Falakata block of Alipurduar subdivision had been promised their fortnightly wages on December 29. However, a day earlier, manager Arun Sirohi left the estate. The management of S.P. Agarwal Tea Company Limited had informed neither the Jalpaiguri district administration nor the trade unions that they were leaving the garden.

However, S. Sebastian, an assistant manager, was there till last night, after which he too left.

Sunil Kujur, a leader of the Citu-affiliated Cha Bagan Mazdoor Union, said: “There are around 1,100 workers. Their wages for nine months and ration for six are yet to be paid. The management had assured us that they would give us our salaries for a fortnight on December 29, but a day earlier they abandoned the estate leaving behind one assistant manager.”

According to Kujur, a meeting was supposed to be held in the chamber of Alipurduar subdvisional officer but did not take place for various reasons.

“This morning we realised that the assistant manager, too, has left the garden. More than Rs 5 lakh is lying as dues with the electricity department. Although the charges for electricity are deducted from us every month, seven days ago the lines were disconnected,” the trade union leader said. The workers, he claimed, want the garden to be run through a cooperative or an operations and maintenance committee.

Soumalyo Ghosh, the block development officer of Falakata, confirmed that the garden management had not informed the administration about its plans to leave the garden. “They promised to pay the workers on the 29th but failed. I have already told higher officials about the situation in Kadombini.” Ranjit Dutta, the secretary of the Tea Association of India of which Kadombini is a member, said the main problem was shortage of funds. “This year, production was 60,000-70,000kg less than last year. Sebastian left the garden because he was ill.”