Jalpaiguri, Feb. 10: Workers of Sikarpur and Bhandarpur tea estate in Rajgunj block have stopped work following the mounting wage and ration dues in the gardens.
According to the trade union leaders of the garden, failure of the management to clear the workers’ wages and ration has forced the labourers to stop work. The management has admitted that the garden was reeling from financial crisis but said efforts were being made to clear the workers’ dues. “The dues of the workers are increasing every day. The ration is due since August last year. The wages of the last two months are also pending. Despite repeated requests, the management has failed to clear our dues. As a result, problems have cropped up,” said Kalyan Roy, the general secretary of West Bengal Cha Sramik Union.
Talking over phone, S.K. Sharma, the manager of the estate, said: “Very few labourers have joined work. There is, however, no law and order problem in the garden. We are trying to clear the dues.'
Siliguri: The Indian Leather Technologists’ Association and the Lexpo Siliguri-X Committee will organise Siliguri Lexpo-X from February 14 at the Kanchenjunga Stadium ground. State urban development and municipal affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya will inaugurate the fair.
Siliguri: A week-long festival of devotional music cassettes, CDs and VCDs was inaugurated at the Music World outlet here on Monday by Swami Ramananda, secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Saradapith, Belur Math. The festival will continue till February 16. Music World is offering a special discount of 10 per cent on all devotional music cassettes, particularly those from the mission.
Islampur: All educational institutions in Islampur subdivision remained closed on Tuesday in response to a strike called by Nasshyasekh Shersahbadi Students’ Forum. The organisation demanded that OBC certificates, stipends and book grants be issued to all students from the minority community. North Bengal Anagrasar Muslim Sangram Samiti lent moral support to the strike. Examinations in colleges were called off because of the strike.
