The Hindu Business Line : Bengal tea body demands reopening of estates

The delegation sought immediate Government intervention without which the future of a large number of workers and their families dependent on these gardens would be at stake.

Our Bureau

Kolkata, Aug.29 A delegation of tea garden owners led by the President of the Tea Association of India, Mr Shashank Prashad, met the West Bengal Minister for Commerce & Industry, Mr Nirupam Sen, on Tuesday and drew his attention to various problems facing the gardens located in the Dooars and Terai regions in the northern part of the State. As many as 16 gardens continued to remain closed despite the best efforts to re-open them.The bane of these tea gardens was low productivity of both land and labour.

Poor price realisation owing to perceived inferior quality of tea produced by them too had been a matter of concern.

The delegation sought immediate Government intervention without which the future of a large number of workers and their families dependent on these gardens would be at stake.

In a memorandum to the Minister, the delegation made several suggestions which included the granting of special additional quota of foodgrains at subsidised rates covering the entire requirement of the gardens; review of the issue of labour productivity in the context of 1969 agreement as suggested by the Tea Committee headed by Dr S. Sen, Secretary, Commerce & Industry Department, West Bengal; the waiver of arrear interest on leaf cess liabilities; the supply of electricity to the gardens at a concessional rate; allowing tea gardens to go for diversification into non-tea areas of their choice; and extension of North East Industrial & Investment Promotion policy to North Bengal.

The delegation was particularly keen that the benefits announced under the Union Government relief package for the closed gardens be extended to sick and ailing gardens located in Dooars and Terai regions.