PANIGHATTA, :A section of
workers of the closed Panighatta Tea Estate under Gorkha Territorial
Administration has started plucking tea leaves from Monday morning despite litigation
at Kolkata High Court.
Around 150 workers, led by Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha
leaders Nawraj Chhetri, Brinda Kumar Pradhan, Ajit Zimba and others, started
plucking of tea leaves.
Meanwhile, around 80 tea garden workers are on
relay hunger strike which entered 149th day today. The relay hunger strike is being
led by Kishore Pradhan from BJP and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Raju Bhatta.
The tea garden has been shut since October 10,
2015 after owner Shankar Sharaf cited financial losses and worker indiscipline
as reasons for abandoning it.
