Four Tea Estates Resumed After 5Yrs

Thekkady: The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, reopened four of the nine tea estates of the Ram Bahadur Thakur Group. The estates had been shut down for the last five years. After five years of suicides, starvation and strife, today is the day of deliverance for the 1,580 workers and their families of these estates. As on date, the group has accumulated losses of Rs 18 crore. Four of the nine RBT estates comprising 917 hectares are now slated to resume operations on June 25. The other five estates are to be opened shortly. Meanwhile, the MMJ Group in Kerala is slated to reopen its three tea estates on June 11. The RBT revival plan was chalked out after two days of hectic negotiations between the management, trade unions and political representatives. All the eleven trade unions and the management are firm in their commitment to revive these plantations. They stand as one in requesting the State Government in permitting us to convert five per cent of the land for tourism, spices and other horticulture crops. That will help us tide over ups and downs of the tea industry. RBT accounts for nine of the 17 closed estates in the State and close to half the total area.