Starvation kills 100 tea garden workers in West Bengal

The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is facing a fresh challenge.



Starvation-related deaths in the closed tea gardens of north Bengal's Dooars region, located in the foothills of Himalayas, are on the rise.



According to reports, nearly 100 people have died of starvation and acute malnutrition in the five closed tea gardens in Dooars since January this year, with at least 10 of them dying last month itself.

Sources say sub-standard wages are the reason for the labourers' pitiable state.



The number of tea garden workers dying from starvation in West Bengal is on the rise (file picture).

The workers are paid only Rs 90 for eight hours a day to produce the expensive Darjeeling tea, while in Terai and Dooars the figure is Rs 95 a day, sources said.



The five closed tea gardens are Dheklapara tea garden, Dharanipur tea garden, Bandapani Tea Garden, Red Bank tea garden and Surendranagar Tea garden.



The state government, however, dubbed the whole issue nothing but a media creation.

