Mamta visits tea gardens hit by starvation deaths

Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee has visited Siliguri, where several workers of closed tea gardens died of starvation.

Siliguri (West Bengal), June 18 : Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee has visited Siliguri, where several workers of closed tea gardens died of starvation.

Mamata, who slammed the government of washing its hands off the plight of the people, said that the government calling them deaths by malaria or diarrhoea.

But the government says the deaths, which they have recorded to be around 570, are related to diseases, which are unrelated to starvation.

The gardens can be brought back to life if the government grants 70 crore rupees, she added.

At least 700 tea workers have died from diseases linked with malnutrition over the past year after closure of tea estates left them with no income.

Two years ago, poor production and low yields led to the closure of 16 tea estates in Jalpaiguri, a remote part of West Bengal, leaving plantation workers with no means of income.

Investigations by the Supreme Court and tea workers' associations found this had directly led to the deaths, leaving hundreds more unable to feed themselves.

India, the world's largest producer and consumer of tea, has strong regulations in place to protect workers' rights and employees have powerful unions which often guarantee them free electricity, water and food as part of their salary packages.

But trade unions say estate owners did not pay wages and other arrears owed to workers following the shutdown and are now fighting the employers for compensation in court.

While tea estate owners are unwilling to comment on the closures, organisations representing the tea producers say they plan to reopen the estates under a cooperative plan.

As a result of the deteriorating situation, hundreds of former tea workers are being forced to travel across the border to Bhutan every day to work in the tiny nation's growing stone crushing and mineral factories.

Those who stayed back -- starving and weak with no money for the last two years -- are being forced to forage for food in nearby forests to keep themselves and their children alive.

ANI