Duncan chief meets West Bengal CM
Kolkata: Dec 5, 2015, DHNS:
Amidst reports of more deaths at tea gardens owned by Duncan Industries trickling in, company chairman G P Goenka met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and assured her that all workers’ dues will be cleared at the earliest.
He told Banerjee that his company is in the process of selling a garden to generate cash for the purpose.
The top industrialist had mentioned about the sale in an exclusive chat with Deccan Herald in November. After meeting the Chief Minister, he told reporters that he is “already on the job”.
Leading tea auction and broking house, J Thomas, has been authorised to look for a buyer, he said. Goenka is looking at selling off the Demdima tea garden in Dooars.
Demdima is among the 13 gardens Duncans owns in Dooars region of North Bengal, most of which have remained non-operational since May, when the management stopped paying wages and other dues to workers.
Duncans, one of the largest providers of CTC tea for the domestic market, ran into trouble after reports started surfacing that workers have been dying, reportedly of malnutrition and lack of medical attention since they remained unpaid for months.
The septuagenarian, questioned by state CID in November while probing a case related to non-payment of salaries and other dues, met the chief minister for the first time since the case was lodged against him.
Following the meeting, state home secretary Basudeb Banerjee told reporters that the discussion was “fruitful”. The top bureaucrat, who was present at the meeting, said, “He (Goenka) has promised to clear all dues to workers in a few months. He will require Rs 70 crore to pay off wages and ration dues.”
The home secretary added the chief minister assured Goenka of the administration’s help to dispose of assets to generate funds needed urgently. Goenka assured he would continue to pay wages even during winter months when the gardens remain closed, the bureaucrat said.
Despite being cash-strapped, Goenka cannot immediately sell most of his gardens since these are referred under the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction since 2007.
At many of Duncans’ gardens, like Bagracote, Nagaisuree and Birpara, there have been reports of workers dying since May.
He told Banerjee that his company is in the process of selling a garden to generate cash for the purpose.
The top industrialist had mentioned about the sale in an exclusive chat with Deccan Herald in November. After meeting the Chief Minister, he told reporters that he is “already on the job”.
Leading tea auction and broking house, J Thomas, has been authorised to look for a buyer, he said. Goenka is looking at selling off the Demdima tea garden in Dooars.
Demdima is among the 13 gardens Duncans owns in Dooars region of North Bengal, most of which have remained non-operational since May, when the management stopped paying wages and other dues to workers.
Duncans, one of the largest providers of CTC tea for the domestic market, ran into trouble after reports started surfacing that workers have been dying, reportedly of malnutrition and lack of medical attention since they remained unpaid for months.
The septuagenarian, questioned by state CID in November while probing a case related to non-payment of salaries and other dues, met the chief minister for the first time since the case was lodged against him.
Following the meeting, state home secretary Basudeb Banerjee told reporters that the discussion was “fruitful”. The top bureaucrat, who was present at the meeting, said, “He (Goenka) has promised to clear all dues to workers in a few months. He will require Rs 70 crore to pay off wages and ration dues.”
The home secretary added the chief minister assured Goenka of the administration’s help to dispose of assets to generate funds needed urgently. Goenka assured he would continue to pay wages even during winter months when the gardens remain closed, the bureaucrat said.
Despite being cash-strapped, Goenka cannot immediately sell most of his gardens since these are referred under the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction since 2007.
At many of Duncans’ gardens, like Bagracote, Nagaisuree and Birpara, there have been reports of workers dying since May.
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