Alipurduar, Dec. 10: The Rahimabad tea estate management today suspended work at the Dooars garden after the director and manager, fearing a pay backlash, refused to return to the property on being told that workers had gathered at the factory demanding last month's wages.

Last night, a deputy manager left the estate and early this morning, an assistant manager also left Rahimabad garden in Kumargram block in Alipurduar.

The garden management alleged that one of the deputy managers was confined by 200-odd workers, but the workers have denied this allegation. They said when they went to the garden factory, no one was there.

The recent history of officials being killed in the Dalmore and Sonali tea estates also played on their minds, a Rahimabad garden official said.

Last month, workers had lynched the owner of Sonali tea estate over wage dues and early this year, an assistant manager of Dalmore garden was hacked to death by a worker who alleged the official had misbehaved with his wife.

The notice issued by the Rahimia Lands and Tea Co. Pvt Ltd read: 'As constant acts of intimidation, threats, perpetration of lawlessness, indiscipline, violence, as well as refuting to obey any reasonable directions and instructions of the management amongst majority of the workers, Management of this Tea Estate is finding itself in a situation which is today becoming completely unbearable....'

The group also owns Turturi tea garden, where the garden manager and director had gone yesterday, when they were informed that the workers in Rahimabad were demanding their wage dues.

Rahimabad, 42km from Alipurduar town, has around 1,100 workers and it is the second time this year that the management has issued a work suspension notice.

On May 25, the management left citing lawlessness and indiscipline among workers. The estate reopened on June 8.

This morning, workers came to know that the management had left the garden without issuing any notice in the estate.

Later, they learnt a suspension of work notice had been submitted to Samuktala police station.

Today, some trade union leaders in the garden received a letter through a courier service but they did not accept the mail.

On Saturday, the management was supposed to pay the salary for November to the workers but it was not disbursed. The management assured labourers that the wage would be paid on Tuesday.

Accordingly, some of the workers went to the garden factory yesterday. When they did not get the money till evening, they demanded to meet director Shekhar Dhar Choudhury.

Dhar Choudhury and manager Monoj Roy were both in Turturi estate yesterday. When they heard about what was happening in the garden, they did not return.

Roy said: 'There is no law and order. We were in Turturi when we came to know that more than hundred workers along with many non-workers came to the factory and wanted to meet the director. We asked the director not to go. If workers have anything to say they could do so in the morning. We have not been able to forget the incidents where a manager and a director were killed brutally by workers in other estates.'

The notice read: '...The workers lead (sic.) by the representative of all operating trade unions arranged a confinement of the management (Deputy Manager) at the garden office by assembling not less than 250-300 persons in the evening hours, demanded that the Managing Director has to appear before them and agree to all of their demands or otherwise he will have to face serious consequences. Fortunately, the Manager and the Managing Director were outside the garden and being scared of their personal safety and security dared not to enter ...'

It further said: '... After about 3 hours, the mob dispersed hurling threats that the same assembly and confinement will be repeated on the next morning.... Management is not finding it conducive for safety and worthy to continue operation of the estate.'

Denying all charges, Rajesh Oraon, the secretary of the garden unit of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed Terai Dooars Plantation Worker's Union, the dominating union in the estate, said: 'There are 744 permanent workers. Including the temporary ones the number would be 1,100 approximately.

Nothing really happened. Yesterday, the workers went to the manager to find out when the wage would be paid. The labourers returned to their houses after that. This morning, they came to know the managers have left. There are 26 rations due... No worker agitated or surrounded any bungalow.'