CM flags Darj tea adulteration, pushes for tourism boost
Darjeeling: On her way to Kolkata on Wednesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stopped to interact with women tea pluckers at Bagdogra Tea Garden on International Tea Day.
Upon seeing the Chief Minister, the workers gathered around her enthusiastically. Banerjee engaged with the tea pluckers, asking about their daily work schedule, the timings of their shifts, whether their children attend school, and the total number of workers at the garden. She then distributed 500 sarees among the women workers and handed out chocolates to the children. “I am overwhelmed by their love and affection,” Banerjee remarked. Earlier, while chairing an administrative meeting at Uttarkanya in Jalpaiguri district, the Chief Minister voiced concern over the dilution of the ‘Darjeeling’ tea brand due to the mixing of cheaper tea from Nepal. “I have nothing against our neighbouring country but this cannot be allowed,” she said. Banerjee pointed out that Nepalese tea faces no export taxes or quality checks, making it cheaper and easier to mix with Darjeeling tea. “This is illegal. How is the Centre allowing this? Why is Nepal tea not being taxed?” she questioned. She asked the state Chief Secretary to take up the matter with Delhi and the Tea Board of India. “We have to pressurise the Tea Board to look into this. We have to set up a stringent system, specially at the borders, to check this,” she remarked. She stated that her government has done a lot for tea garden workers. “We have increased their wages manyfold. Given them land rights documents as well as Rs 120000 to build houses. Every month, we give 35kg of free food grains per person...” she said.
Banerjee emphasised tea tourism as a means of employment generation and an alternate livelihood for youths residing in tea gardens. She urged GTA chief Anit Thapa to work towards expansion of Darjeeling hills and Kalimpong. “Darjeeling and Kalimpong are getting congested. During peak season hotel rooms are hard to come by. More homestays and resorts have to come up to boost tourism...” she stated. She inquired about the progress of Cooch Behar as a Heritage Town to promote tourism.
