The Hindu Business Line : ‘Resolve legal issues on closed tea gardens’

The Arya Committee, currently examining the scope of enforcing the provisions of the Section 16 (E) of the Tea Act to enable the Tea Board to take over the closed tea gardens as a first step towards reopening them, feels that the legal issues have to be resolved first before anything could be done in this regard.

The committee held its meeting a few days ago and veered round to the view that while the Act was in place since 1953 there were no supporting guidelines nor relevant rules to suggest as to how to go about in regard to its implementation. This was presumably because never before in past half a century or so did the Tea Board feel the need for enforcing the provisions of Section 16 (E).

Court cases

The committee has noted that many closed tea gardens are embroiled in various court cases which must be settled first. Besides, the tea industry has already filed suit against the State Government challenging the lease rental on the tea garden lands and the matter is pending with the Supreme Court, it is learnt.

Precisely for the same reason, the committee is yet to identify the closed gardens which might be ideally suited for enforcement of the provisions of Section 16 (E).

The committee, which has been constituted under the Commerce Ministry, is headed by the Additional Secretary of the same Ministry, Mr O.P. Arya.

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