The Hindu Business Line : `5 Bengal tea gardens will be reopened shortly'

THE UNION Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Friday on the issue of closed/sick tea gardens in West Bengal along with the Tea Board Chairman, Mr Basudeb Banerjee, and other officials. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Kolkata May 11 Five of West Bengal's 14 closed tea gardens will be reopened shortly. This was announced by Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce, at the end of his meeting with the owners of 11 of the 14 closed gardens. The Tea Board Chairman, the West Bengal Labour Minister, the Labour Secretary, representatives of trade unions, District Magistrates of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts where these closed gardens are located, among others, were also present.

Names of gardens

The gardens are: Surendranagar Tea Estate having an area of 172 hectares and employing 300 people is to be reopened on May 17; Kalchini, 742 hectares and 1,978 employees; Raimatong 491 hectares and employing 1,254 people to be reopened on July 15; Samsing 918 hectares, 2,318 people and Bamondanga 310 hectares and 1,180 to be reopened on June 29. The owners of three closed gardens did not run up at the meeting and, therefore, no decision could be taken about them.

Reopening issue

The reopening issue of six other gardens was being discussed at various stages. For example, the owner of Chamruchi tea estate who was present expressed his inability to run the garden and wanted to sell it. The banker Allahabad Bank, therefore, was requested to locate a buyer. The owner of Raipur Tea Estate too did not want to run it. Fortunately, the buyer interested in the garden was present at the meeting. The State Government and the Tea Board had been asked to sort out the dues. Red Bank tea estate being under liquidation, there was no discussion on it.

A buyer for Bhanorbari tea estate could be located but since the garden owes Rs 8 crore to Allahabad Bank, the bank was asked to examine the buying proposal. Sikarpur-Bhadarpur Tea estate, the Minister felt, posed a problem as the State Government, United Bank, the banker, and the trade unions all complained of a lack of sincerity on the part of the owner to reopen it.

Complaints

Also, there were complaints of mismanagement of funds. The present owner was not interested in running it. The District Magistrate of Jalpaiguri was asked to make an inquiry and submit a report.

The reopening process initiated in respect of closed gardens in Kerala too yielded results. One of the closed gardens reopened on April 9 while nine others would reopen on May 27. A total of 72 loan applications from West Bengal tea gardens for assistance under the Special Purpose Tea Fund will be considered on June 28.