Restructuring of closed tea gardens

The Union commerce and industries ministry has mooted a plan to financially restructure closed tea gardens in a bid to get them reopened.

Jairam Ramesh, the Union minister of state for commerce and industries, told The Telegraph today that “a plan has been devised to enable the owners of closed gardens to get rid of a substantial portion of their liabilities”.

Under the scheme, some of the loans and advances made to these gardens would be waived, while the Centre and financial institutions would bear a part of the accumulated burden.

Of the 33 tea estates that have been put on the priority list, 14 are in Bengal, 17 in Kerala and two in Assam.

“Once the owners reopen their units, they can seek soft loans to finance their units. This assistance is apart from the Special Purpose Tea Fund, for which they are eligible to apply only after they clear their liabilities,” the minister said. The special purpose fund can be used for replantation and rejuvenation.

According to statistics available with the tea board, the total dues of 14 gardens in north Bengal (including the recently-opened Surendranagar) are Rs 129.49 crore. Of this, bank dues are Rs 114.03 crore, provident fund dues Rs 11.65 crore and tea board dues Rs 3.80 crore.

The minister said the next priority would be how to refurbish sick gardens, “but not right now”.

Ramesh travelled 60 km by road from Bagdogra Airport to Chalsa this afternoon, before visiting Samsing tea estate. “I will visit five closed estates during my three-day visit and I am optimistic of reopening at least two,” he said.

The five are Samsing, Bharnobari, Redbank, Chamurchi and Raipur. “We are confident of reopening Bharnobari and Redbank tomorrow, while at Chamurchi, talks will be held to form a cooperative to run the garden. Nothing can be said about Raipur now,” Ramesh said.

At Samsing, a Citu-dominated garden, more than 300 residents welcomed Ramesh with a lal salaam. “The owner met me three days ago and assured me that once the financial package is declared, he would open the garden within 24 hours,” the minister said over phone from Chalsa.

Ramesh asserted that if the Samsing owner did not respond within a month, the Centre would acquire the garden under Section 16 (D) of the Indian Tea Act.

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling Hill farmers to extend holdings

Raniban (Darjeeling): The 170-year-old monopoly of tea garden owners could soon change with hill farmers looking to plant tea on small holdings.

Organic Ekta (organic unity) — a cooperative society of small tea growers in the hills — is trying to increase its holdings and sell its product on a commercial scale.

“In 2006 we formed a cooperative and registered ourselves under the name Organic Ekta. At present, over 1,000 hectare of land, covering eight villages from Pokhriabong to Raniban, are under tea cultivation,” said Harish Mukhia, a retired planter, who has helped similar initiatives in Arunachal Pradesh and Nepal.

Though the farmers in the hills have been cultivating tea for the past 50 years, it was essentially produced on hand rolls for consumption at home.

“Last year, we could sell about 40,000 kg of green leaves to other (established) gardens in the hills which was converted to about 8,000 kg of made tea,” said Mukhia.

The move has come as a major boon to farmers from areas like Raniban, 25 km from Darjeeling. Hemmed by the Ghum-Bhanjyan and Senchel wildlife sanctuaries, farmers here could not grow organic fruits and vegetables as marauding animals, especially wild boars, destroyed their crops year after year.

Pannalal Subba, the secretary of the small tea growers’ association, said though the situation seemed promising the new body would need help from the government.

Subba was referring to the recent tea board directive making it mandatory for tea growers to obtain a licence from the board and a Certified Trade Mark.

“This year, we sold tealeaves at Rs 30 per kg through the Darjeeling Earth Group — an NGO working here. We have also obtained licence to plant tea in two villages, Rangbhayan and Risheehat Khasmal. We are now in the process of obtaining the necessary documents and would need government support,” said Mukhia.

Source: The Telegraph