Panighatta Tea Estate shuts down again, workers in distress

PRASHANT ACHARYA

PANIGHATTA,: The long-running uncertainty surrounding the Panighatta Tea Estate has once again pushed its workers into distress, with the tea garden reportedly remaining closed since August 29. Workers are now demanding the immediate reopening of the estate and have appealed for the issue to be resolved directly between the management and workers, without political intervention.

The workers say Panighatta Tea Estate has repeatedly faced disruption and closures over the past decade. According to workers, the garden was first shut on 10th October 2015, and although operations resumed at different times, uncertainty over the management and functioning of the estate has continued.

A written representation dated 31st August 2026 has also been submitted to Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, in which workers have highlighted their difficulties and sought attention to the crisis.

According to the workers, the garden had been functioning under the management of owner SS Bagriya until May 2026. They said that several workers had been retired during the process and replacements were brought in. The workers have alleged that differences, pressure and alleged mismanagement involving trade-union leadership have repeatedly disturbed the functioning of the garden.

They are, however, making one demand clear: the tea estate should reopen immediately and workers' employment should not become a political issue.

‘Enough is enough,’ says workers

Philomina Kerketta, a permanent worker of Panighatta Tea Estate, said workers have endured hardship for nearly a decade and no longer want their situation to be used for political purposes.

“We have tolerated severe pain for the last one decade. We have been used by leaders and now we have understood everything. This time, we want to invite the owner to open the garden through a meeting directly with the workers and not with leaders.”

Kerketta said the workers want a direct dialogue with the management so that a permanent solution can be found and employment can be restored.

Another senior worker, Falera Tirkey, expressed anguish over what she described as the role of political parties and local leaders in the affairs of Panighatta Tea Estate.

According to Tirkey, workers were frequently mobilised for meetings and political rallies, but their own livelihood and children's education were not given adequate consideration. “We were loaded into trucks for meetings and political rallies, but nobody thought about our interests and our future,” she said.

She said the prolonged uncertainty has severely affected families dependent on the tea garden for their livelihood.

The crisis has also had a direct impact on the education of workers' children.

Workers say the lack of a stable income has made it increasingly difficult for families to pay school and transportation expenses.

Rohan Lakra, a worker's family member, is cited as one such example. He reportedly had to discontinue his studies after Class IX, as his family could no longer afford the vehicle fare required for his education.

For workers, the issue is therefore not simply about the reopening of a tea estate. They say it is about employment, children's education, household survival and the future of an entire community that has depended on Panighatta Tea Estate for generations.

Workers want owner-worker dialogue

The workers are now urging the garden management to come forward for a direct meeting with them and reopen the estate at the earliest. They have also appealed to political leaders and trade-union representatives to stay away from negotiations concerning the workers' immediate employment, saying repeated political involvement has contributed to instability.

The workers' message is straightforward: they want the garden to function, they want their jobs back, and they want a stable working environment without repeated closures.

With Panighatta Tea Estate once again shut, uncertainty has returned to hundreds of families who depend directly or indirectly on the garden. Workers now hope that the management will respond to their appeal and that a direct worker-management dialogue can pave the way for the immediate reopening and long-term stability of the estate.