Operations Resume at Malbazar’s Raja Tea Estate After Labour Department Intervention
Malbazar, February 27, 2026 — After remaining shut for over a month, the Raja Tea Estate in the Malbazar block has officially resumed its operations, bringing immediate relief to its workforce. The decision to reopen the garden was finalized following a prolonged tripartite meeting held at the Labour Department’s Shramik Bhavan in Matigara, Siliguri, on Tuesday evening.
As previously reported by Tarai 24, the tea estate management had issued a suspension of work notice on January 23. At the time of the closure, the management cited severe financial losses and an alleged lack of anticipated cooperation from the workforce as the primary reasons for suspending operations.
Following the shutdown, various worker organizations and trade unions initiated phased protests. The unions consistently demanded that the management take proactive steps to resolve the ongoing issues and reopen the garden to protect the livelihood of the dependent families.
The administrative deadlock was finally broken during a marathon negotiation session that continued until approximately 9:00 PM on Tuesday, February 24. Subhrajyoti Sarkar, the Assistant Labour Commissioner for Malbazar who was present at the meeting, confirmed the resolution. Following the discussions, he announced that a consensus had been reached between the management and worker representatives, allowing the tea garden to officially reopen from Wednesday, February 25.
Representatives of the tea estate management reportedly returned to the garden late Tuesday night after the successful conclusion of the meeting. Normal daily operations, plucking activities, and factory work have now resumed at the Raja Tea Estate.