The Ambootia grouphas run into trouble with all the 2,400 employees at the three Darjeeling gardens that the group had bought from the government along with the office workers expressing their desire to retain their status as government employees.
This situation is believed to have resulted out of a communication issued by the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation, which is selling its gardens asking the employees to exercise their option of either moving to private ownership or remaining with the government.
Speaking on conditions of anonymity, employees at the WBTDC said that their understanding was that this option would be available only to the office employees and not the plantation-workers. “Where is the scope for employing so many people for a cash-strapped government,” wondered an office staff seeking clarity on the issue.
They were also confused as to who would clear their various dues if they opted to remain with the government.
Senior officials of the WBTDC could not be contacted for their views.
The development also puts the Ambootia group in a bind as they are supposed to deposit Rs.7.5 crore toward part-payment of the three gardens. The largest, the Rungmook Cedars Tea Estate, has 414.4 hectares under tea and 1,931 workers on its rolls.
Retaining the plantation workers and getting physical possession of the gardens are very critical to the revival as the production of some of the best teas begin now.
In one of its biggest privatisation initiatives, the Mamata Banerjee government recently divested five tea gardens. The entire process is being monitored by KPMG.
