Union Budget fails to bring cheer to the tea industry

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 1 Feb 2023:  Union Budget 2023-24 failed to bring cheer to the tea industry considered the economic backbone of North Bengal region. 

No special package, subsidy, financial encouragement or scheme found a mention in the Budget presented by Nirmala Sitaraman, the Union minister of Finance in Parliament on Wednesday. In Bengal, tea is produced in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur districts situated in the northern part of the state. 

There are around 334 gardens employing 4.5 lakh workforce. Bengal produces around 300 million kg of tea. “The 171st Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce had submitted a report in Parliament recommending a one-time package for the revival of the Darjeeling tea industry. 

However, the recommendation was ignored. The Tea Board had recommended Orthodox tea subsidy be given to the Darjeeling tea industry but that too failed to materialise. No effective mechanism to contain spurious Darjeeling tea in the domestic market has been implemented. Unlike in other countries where the concerned Commerce Minister extends necessary support and wherewithal to its tea industry the same does not happen for tea industry in India,” stated Sandeep Mukherjee, Principal Advisor, Darjeeling Tea Association. 

Incidentally in November 2022, the Tea Board sought the assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the industry in the next five years starting from 2022-23. “The proposal included handholding of small tea growers and subsidy for orthodox tea production which has a good export market,” Saurav Pahari, Chairman, Tea Board had then stated. 

The Dooars Branch of the Indian Tea Association (DBITA) also echoed similar sentiments. “We had expectations that there would be support for the ailing tea industry through the Commerce Ministry in the form of subsidies, and financial packages. 

We urge that earlier development schemes for the Industry and the workers, including scholarships to meritorious students hailing from the tea gardens be revived along with financial encouragement be handed out through a supplementary Budget,” stated Sanjay Bagchi of the DBITA. 

“Small tea growers should be accorded the status of agricultural farmers rather than the present status under the Ministry of Commerce owing to which we failed to secure a berth in this budget,” stated Bijoy Gopal Chakroborty, President, Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association. 

In India, there are more than 3 lakh small tea growers contributing to 55 per cent of the total production of the country. In Bengal, there are 55,000 small tea growers. Even the trade unions are peeved by the tea industry being given a miss in the Budget. Nirjal Dey, president, Darjeeling District, INTTUC stated: “In a past Budget they had announced Rs 1000 crore for the tea industry but it did not see the light of day. 

Nothing trickled down to the workers. The BJP-led Government is a government of the Corporate and looks after the Corporate only. We have already launched an agitation against the BJP MPs and MLAs for PF dues in tea gardens. This will continue.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengla/union-budget-fails-to-bring-cheer-to-the-tea-industry-507186