Tea Board’s Executive Director, M Balaji, said that the government has extended the period of implementation of Tea Development and Promotion Scheme till March 31.
“So, it has been decided to allow till February 20 the submission of online applications for the claim of subsidy for the manufacture of orthodox teas from July to December 2020,” he said.
He stressed that the current financial year 2020-21 is the terminal year for this scheme. He added that no further extension of the date for submission of application would be allowed. The Tea Board has issued show cause notices to 46 tea buyers for not submitting statutory returns.
Balaji said that these buyers have not submitted quarterly returns to the Tea Board in the prescribed Form F recording the details of the teas purchased by them. The submission of this Form is mandatory as per the Tea (Marketing) Control (Amendment) Order 2017, he said.
Accordingly, notices have been issued to the tea buyers, seeking their reply within the stipulated time, and necessary action would be taken against them after receipt of their reply, he added.
Balaji said that Tea Board regularly monitors the activities of the tea buyers who are licensed by the Board.