Century-old Ramdurlavpur tea garden sees protests over alleged land diversion

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, November 15, 2025

Kamalpur’s century-old Ramdurlavpur tea garden witnessed strong protests on Friday as workers accused the new owners of illegally diverting tea garden land and cutting established tea plants in violation of regulations. Protestors claimed that the management was clearing tea bushes to plant palm trees and attempting to set up piggery farms, which they said went against guidelines. They alleged that the new owners had adopted a hostile approach, depriving workers of fair wages and following a hire-and-fire policy. Workers said the garden once employed over 800 people, yet none had been upgraded to regular pay in recent years despite retirements, and the workforce had now fallen to 550 due to a halt in recruitment over seven years. The management dismissed the accusations, stating that machinery worth several crores had been installed and that palm trees were being planted only to protect tea plants from harsh sunlight while enabling dual cropping. Officials declined to comment on hiring practices.

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