Alipurduar, Oct. 5: Around 700 workers of Jayasree Aryaman Tea Estate gheraoed the manager for more than six hours this morning to demand their pending house rent allowance.

Soon after the incident, the manager, Jasbir Singh Reddu, and the three other managerial staff members fled the garden, which is located under the Madarihat police station, around 60km from here.

According to workers, the management had signed an agreement in 2003 that allowed 15 per cent of the wage as house rent. The amount was supposed to be paid once a year. But workers have not received the amount in the last three years.

The gherao began from 7am and a large police force accompanied by block development officer, Top Deo Lama, reached the spot around 1pm to defuse tension.

“Our financial condition does not permit us to pay house rent at a rate more than five per cent. I explained this to the workers but they are adamant,” Reddu said.

The workers seemed to be in no mood to relent.

“They have decided to start uprooting tea bushes and will start cultivation on the garden land from Monday if their demands are not met,” said Hiralal Lakra of the RSP-backed Dooars Cha Bagan Workers’ Union.

Alipurduar subdivisional officer Alice Vej has called a tripartite meeting tomorrow in her chamber to solve the issue.