State govt pushes for tea garden lease regularisation
Alipurduar: The state government has urged the district administrations of Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar to resolve lease issues in tea gardens, many of which are operating without valid agreements. The Land and Land Reforms and Refugee Rehabilitation department issued a directive on December 3, 2024, prioritising lease settlements to boost revenue.
Additional Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal, Vivek Kumar instructed the district magistrates of the four districts to prioritise lease settlements, resolve outstanding dues and streamline the process through a proposed single-window system. The notification from the department of Land and Land Reforms and Refugee and Rehabilitation, Government of West Bengal (No- 39(4)-ACS&LRC/2024 Dated - December 3, 2024) stated: “In the interest of revenue augmentation, it has been decided to accord the highest priority to regularisation/grant of lease to these tea gardens. In this connection, each district will prepare proposals for long term lease settlement after scrutinising each case, with the help of the Deputy Labour Commissioner and other relevant officers at the district at the earliest.
In essence. a ‘single window processing is required under the leadership of the DL&LRO where all aspects of the lease settlement and conditions precedent including payment of statutory dues to the state, etc are considered. After this scrutiny exercise at the district ‘level is completed, all the cases for regularisation/grant of lease, along with a specific recommendation of the distinct authority will need to be forwarded to this department.”
An assessment revealed significant irregularities. In Uttar Dinajpur, 36 tea gardens in the Islampur police district lack valid leases. In Darjeeling, 14 gardens are without leases and four have not renewed them for years. Jalpaiguri faces challenges with 32 gardens having issues related to leases, pending payments, and incomplete documentation. In contrast, Cooch Behar shows progress, with all seven gardens in the Mekhliganj subdivision applying for lease renewals. Alipurduar district, which has 64 tea gardens, does not feature in the list, indicating fewer lease-related problems despite other challenges like closed gardens.
Nakul Sonar, Central Committee Chairman of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU), highlighted the need for compliance, stating: “Evading government taxes is not acceptable. The government has strict rules and can cancel leases if necessary.” Amitangshu Chakraborty, Advisor to the Indian Tea Planters Association, acknowledged the directive, noting that while the tea industry is struggling, lease settlements are essential.
