BackPOLITICS
As Trinamool, BJP reach out to workers of closed tea gardens, women-led cooperatives chart independent course
Gunjan Naik died in June 2025 at Garganda tea garden in Alipurduar, leaving behind Basanti Naik who survives on government-supplied food grains and Lakshmir Bhandar cash. The Merico Group tea garden reportedly pays irregular wages and is not officially closed, with no FAWLOI assistance for workers. A report published on April 21, 2026 discusses political outreach to workers of closed gardens and highlights women-led cooperatives charting an independent course amid West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026.
Why It Matters
The article highlights ongoing welfare and labor issues in West Bengal’s tea gardens and contextualizes political outreach ahead of state elections, signaling potential shifts in worker-relief strategies and community organization.
Timeline
2 Events
April 21, 2026 report on garden status and welfare schemes
April 21, 2026
The article states that the Garganda tea garden, run by the Merico Group, is officially not closed and workers have not received Financial Assistance to the Workers of Locked Out Industries (FAWLOI). Basanti Naik receives ₹1,500 under the West Bengal government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, and this is described as the only cash support she receives. The piece also places these issues in the context of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 and notes outreach by Trinamool and BJP to workers of closed tea gardens, with women-led cooperatives charting an independent course.
Death of Gunjan Naik at Garganda tea garden
June 2025
Gunjan Naik, a tea garden worker, died in June 2025 at Garganda tea garden in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district. His widow, Basanti Naik, survives solely on food grains provided under her Antyoday Anna Yojana (AAY) card. She is described as 51 years old and too weak to work, with wages at the garden reported as irregular.