Tea Board issues show-cause notice to units in Nilgiris

PS Sundar The Tea Board has issued show-cause notices to some factories in the Nilgiris for allegedly manufacturing inferior-quality tea.

According to Tea Board Executive Director M Balaji, during the inspection conducted by Board officials, these factories were found to be defying the manufacturing standards prescribed by the Board.

The factories were found to be manufacturing inferior-quality teas in unhygienic conditions. Besides, they added coarse leaves and reconditioned tea (RC), he added.

Such inferior-quality tea would damage the reputation of Nilgiris tea and bring down the price, which would adversely affect small growers, he noted.

The factories included the Tamil Nadu government-run Cherangode TANTEA factory and five Indco factories, also managed by the State government under the co-operative movement, located at Karumbalam, Bikkatty, Pandalur, Salisbury and Frontier. Show-cause notices have also been issued to private tea factories — Snowdon, Abinaya, SN, Bhagawan, Smart, Sathyam, HRD, Narumugai, Evelyn, Sudarshan, Sharavana and TC Tea and Enterprises.

“After hearing from them, suitable action will be initiated against all these tea factories as per the Tea Act and its relevant control orders,” Balaji said.