Jaigaon, Feb. 2: The Madhu Tea Garden in Kalchini block of Jalpaiguri district was shut down today after the management put up a lockout notice late last night and abandoned the estate.
The decision will affect 832 permanent staff and 103 casual workers. The UTUC-affiliated Dooars Cha Bagan Workers? Union and Intuc-affiliated National Union of Plantation Workers today organised a meeting in the garden to protest against the move. Addressing a gathering, Congress MLA Paban Kumar Lakra described the lockout as ?illegal and pre-planned?. Secretary of the Indian Tea Planters? Association Sanjay Bagchi, however, blamed the eroding work culture and an atmosphere of insecurity in the garden for the estate's closure.
Malda: A team of crime branch officials from Chhattisgarh has arrested a person and recovered few stolen mobile phones during a raid conducted here on Wednesday jointly with the district police. According to Malda superintendent of police Sashi Kant Pujari, 47 cell phones of reputed companies had been stolen from a shop in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Acting on a tip-off, the visiting team conducted a raid at Kaliachak. Accompanied by the arrested man, the officials also visited some areas of Murshidabad.
Siliguri: Corneal grafting was carried out on two visually-challenged persons at Lions Eye Bank here on Wednesday in the first such operation in Siliguri. Rina Roy (21), who had been blind since the age of five, and Rampratam Chowdhury (35) were each given a cornea donated by an accident victim.
Siliguri: North Bengal Art Academy will organise a sewing workshop at Baghajatin Park on February 5. The dresses tailored in there will be handed over to the tsunami victims, a press release said. Several local dignitaries are expected to grace the occasion.
Islampur: Md Fazlul was arrested on Wednesday from Dhantolla in connection with a dacoity at Panjipara early in January this year. Police recovered a country-made pipe gun from his possession.
