Bengal: Bonus crisis casts shadow over Durga Puja in Dooars tea gardens

Siliguri, Oct 17 (UNI) While workers in some Dooars tea gardens are celebrating Durga Puja after receiving their 20 per cent bonus, thousands of others are facing a grim festive season as several managements have failed to settle bonus payments, triggering protests and road blockades. The situation took a serious turn at Bharnabari Tea Estate in Alipurduar district, where workers, accompanied by tea workers' leaders and local social workers, staged a demonstration outside Hasimara police station on Saturday morning, alleging that the management had abandoned the garden without paying the bonus. According to the protesters, the manager and other staff…