Alipurduar, May 19 -- Just two years after its reopening, Madhu Tea Estate in Kalchini block of Alipurduar district has once again declared a suspension of work, citing financial crisis and a deteriorating work culture. A formal notice was issued by the management on Tuesday, triggering fresh uncertainty for around 450 permanent workers and hundreds of others dependent on the garden.
Tensions had been simmering between workers and management since last Friday over delayed wage payments. With no resolution in sight, the management claimed it had no choice but to suspend operations indefinitely.
The suspension notice, posted at the garden entrance, read: "This tea estate was inherited as a sick and uneconomic unit, plagued by entrenched wrongful practices and an unproductive work culture. Despite multiple bipartite and tripartite meetings aimed at restoring a peaceful and productive environment, the production of green leaves has suffered severely due to persistent indiscipline and uncooperative behaviour. As of now, the garden is unable to generate enough revenue to meet even basic wage and statutory obligations."
The notice mentioned that the management had issued an appeal for cooperation on May 15, 2025, but received no meaningful response. It stated that due to the "untenable" financial condition, a "Suspension of Operations" was being implemented with immediate effect. Copies of the notice were sent to the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, and all trade unions.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.