The four-month-long deadlock at Subarnapur, a tea garden in the Kranti block of Jalpaiguri district, finally came to an end on Monday. The locked office of the tea garden was opened, bringing relief to around 200 tea workers and their families.

The reopening ceremony was attended by local INTTUC leaders and members of the local panchayat at the Dhalabari village of the block.

Parishram Chik Baraik, INTTUC president of the Kranti block, said the tea garden had remained closed for four months because of workers’ demand for the government-mandated 20 per cent bonus.

“On January 4, a meeting was held at the Jalpaiguri district Inttuc office in the presence of the workers, the garden management, and elected representatives. It was decided that the management would pay the bonus at 20 per cent in two phases,” he said.

Riaz Chowdhury, the garden’s manager, said that half of the bonus (10 per cent) would be paid by January 15 and the remaining by March 31.

Ramijul Alam, a local panchayat member, said a tripartite meeting would be held at the assistant labour commissioner’s office in Malbazar in two weeks to resolve other pending issues.