Siliguri, Jan. 7: Work in two tea estates in the Dooars has come to a close after the garden authorities failed to pay the workers’ dues.

While workers of Manabari Tea Estate in Malbazar have driven out the management representatives from the garden on Saturday, those at Makrapara near Birpara stopped working since Sunday following a delay in payment.

“We had told the workers that we cannot make full payment right now because of funds crunch,” said Bijoy Roy Pramanik, an assistant manager of Manabari. “We assured them that the unpaid portion would be cleared from May onwards. But they refused to listen and asked us to leave. A section of workers had also barged into the factory and taken away machinery last night.”

The management has lodged a complaint with the Malbazar police. The garden has 600-odd workers, with an annual production of around 4.5 lakh kg.

Chanu Dey, the CPM zonal committee secretary, however, said the management left the garden on its town. He demanded that the dues should be cleared immediately.

In Makrapara, the garden authorities left the estate after putting up a notice that workers’ dues cannot be paid before the third week of January. The garden has around 400 workers and produced 1.5 lakh kg of tea every year.

“The garden management had apprehended a labour unrest,” said Gopal Pradhan, the vice-president of the RSP-affiliated Dooars Cha Bagan Workers’ Union.

Officials of the Dooars branch of the Indian Tea Planters’ Association said negotiations are on.