The Hindu Business Line : Gorkhaland stir halts movement of tea from Bengal

The agitation over Gorkhaland having paralysed road movement in the northern parts of West Bengal, the tea gardens in Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai regions of the State have been badly hit.

Movement remains hit

This is the peak season for tea production but the evacuation of made (processed) tea out of the gardens and inward movement of fertilisers and the packaging materials to the gardens have remained suspended for the past few days causing concern to the gardens affected. There being no railway lines in the hills, the road transport is the only means of surface communication.

The tea auctioneers sources here confirm that the evacuation of tea out of the gardens having been affected, the arrivals in auctions this week were lower vis-a-vis last week.

Exemptions

Although, the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha ,which is spearheading the agitation, has declared exemptions to tea gardens from the purview of the blockades, the overall situation has not improvedm much. This is since vehicular traffic has not been granted any exemption. As it is, the number of vehicles on the road dropped in the hills immediately after the announcement of the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

While the GJMM lifted the blockade at Darjeeling on Thursday, temporarily though, the road movement continued to remain paralysed following the 48-hour bandh which is persisting in Siliguri, the gateway to northern part of West Bengal.

Blockade continues

Meanwhile, the Indian Tea Association, in a statement, said blockades continued at several locations in Dooars such as Oodlabari, Chalsa More, Nagarkota Road, on the highway near Debapara tea estate under Binaguri sub-division, Moraghat and Kalchini.

The deteriorating law and order situation in Naxalbari and Bagdogra has badly hit movement to and from gardens located in the Terai region.

Last year, 89 tea gardens of Darjeeling produced 11.4 million kg of tea, nearly 3,000 gardens in Dooars including 157 large gardens 142 mkg and 5,950 gardens including 67 large gardens in Terai 78 mkg.

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Gorkhaland stir halts movement of tea from Bengal