Govt Urges Organised Tea Sector Must Live With Small Growers

Kolkata: The West Bengal Minister for Commerce & Industry, Mr Nirupam Sen, has made it clear that the State's organised tea sector must learn to live with the small growers and bought leaf factories (BLFs). There is tremendous pressure on the State Government to allow establishment of more BLFs not only in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts where a number of such factories already exist but also in North Dinjapore and Cooch Behar where there are several small tea growing units but hardly any BLF.
The committee saw merit in the organised tea sector's stand against the small growers and suggested a halt to new BLFs and small tea growing gardens in the State. The small growers, the organised sector had complained, neither provided jobs throughout the year nor cared for maintaining quality. They also paid scant attention to workers welfare and barely complied with statutory liabilities. The owners of some of better run gardens have shown interest in taking over, some of the closed gardens and running them and the State's chief secretary has held meeting in this regard as some legal hurdles have to be overcome. Tea tourism is another option being explored. The State Government is ready to share some of its social responsibilities such as running schools, health centres and constructing roads in the garden areas and accordingly have sounded some of the garden owners for providing lands. The money to be give under the centrally sponsored Special Purpose Tea Fund would be used exactly for the purpose for which it was meant.