Darjeeling, Oct. 22: The Birla Group of Companies has bought Singbuli tea garden in Mirik at a time when most tea companies have been crying over falling tea-prices.

The management of Jayshree Tea and Industries Limited, owned by the group, will officially take office tomorrow.

P.K. Agarwal, the vice-president of Jayshree tea, said over phone from Calcutta: “The new management will take over tomorrow and the decision has already been taken by the board of directors.”

Refusing to divulge any further details of the deal, Agarawal said they would decide the future course of action after taking stock of the situation.

The garden was previously owned by Darjeeling Consolidate India Pvt Limited, which also owns the Balasun tea garden.

The latter was recently in news for non-payment of puja bonus to the garden workers.

The predominant workers’ union at Singbuli, the Himalayan Plantation Workers’ Union, (HPWU) has welcomed the entry of the Birlas.

N.K. Kumai, the president of HPWU, said: “The union has been made aware of the negotiations and we are happy that a financially stronger company is taking over the reins of the tea garden. We have already had a discussion with the new management and they will soon be paying bonus to the workers at the rate of 11.1 per cent. We are happy about that.”

Singbuli tea estate, spanning over 302.72 hectares and employing 800-odd workers, was previously affiliated to the Darjeeling Planters’ Association.

This is not the first time the Birla group is venturing in this field.

They have invested in tea plantations in the hills ever since 1950, when they bought over the Rishehaat tea garden. In 1967, the group took charge of Pattabong. Sungma tea estate was taken over in the 1993 and North Tukvar in 1995.

G.C. Somani, the superintendent of Rishehaat and Puttabong tea estate, said the management of these two gardens would run the newly acquired tea estate in Mirik from tomorrow. All these gardens are reportedly doing quite well.