Alipurduar: Tea Planters Associations have written to the state government urging MNREGA jobs in tea gardens. They have requested a subsidy on electric bills also. More than 300 tea plantations from Darjeeling to Alipurduar are currently facing unprecedented challenges and are on the verge of collapse. First flush production is very low in tea gardens due to weather vagaries.
Along with low production this year, the price of tea at the Calcutta auction has been unprecedentedly low. Tea was sold at an average price of just Rs 261 per kilogram in the Calcutta auction in the second week of May.
Sandeep Singhania and Sanjay Dalmia sent a letter to Labour minister Malay Ghatak on behalf of the Tea Owners’ Association requesting the government to address the crisis in the tea industry. They have requested a subsidy on electricity bills also. Additionally, tea planters have requested that MGNREGA work be provided to tea plantation workers.
The total tea cultivation in North Bengal is on 1,14,410 hectares, which could create more than 1.14 crore labour days under MGNREGA. The state may need to spend Rs 286 crore for this. After June 10, a meeting of the state government, tea plantation owners, and workers’ organisations will be held. The association of tea plantation owners has proposed, including the Reserve Bank of India and the Tea Board, in that meeting.
Chinmay Dhar, North Bengal Chairman of the Tea Association of India (TAI), stated: “Strong tea estates cannot sustain themselves in this situation. Naturally, the condition of weaker tea plantations is worse. While there is low production, the market demand for tea is low and prices are not meeting expectations even at auctions. Due to extreme weather conditions, it costs about Rs 200 to produce 1 kilogram of tea leaves in the plains.”
Meanwhile, owners are forced to reduce the working days for workers from 6 days to 4-5 days a week in several tea gardens. Although there are more than 5 lakh permanent workers in tea plantations in North Bengal, there are an equal number of temporary workers also. There is concern in the tea community about what this workforce will do for the next three months.