No support announced: Budget disappoints North Bengal tea industry

MP, 24 July 2024, Alipurduar: Despite North Bengal having 6 BJP MPs out of 8, the 2024 Budget brought no cheer to the region in all sectors, including the tea industry, the region’s economic backbone. 

No special package, subsidy, or financial encouragement was mentioned in the Budget presented by Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday. North Bengal’s tea industry spans the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur, with around 334 gardens employing 4.5 lakh workers. 

The region produces approximately 300 million kg of tea annually. The industry had hoped for a minimum floor price, incentives, tax waivers, subsidies, measures against illegal tea imports from Nepal and boosts to exports, but none were included. 

Chinmay Dhar, North Bengal chairman of the Tea Association of India, voiced the industry’s disappointment: “Tea Industry in India generates the highest number of employment directly or indirectly but there is nothing encouraging in the Budget. The tea industry is in crisis this year and this Budget provides no direction to strengthen the market. We will keep an eye on what happens in the coming days.” 

Small tea growers were also left disheartened. Bijoy Gopal Chakroborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association, said: “It is hopeless. There are about 50,000 small tea growers in North Bengal. 

This Budget could not directly support them.” Small tea growers contribute 55 per cent of India’s tea production. 

Leaders of tea workers’ organizations joined the chorus of criticism. Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union (TCBSU) Chairman Nakul Sonar, said: “Tea is the second largest industry in India after railways, yet workers are disappointed. 

In 2021, Rs 1,000 crore was announced for North Indian tea, but the money has not arrived. Stipends for tea garden students have stopped. 

Four tea gardens in Jalpaiguri district, acquired by the government, have not paid workers’ salaries or PF for a long time. Does our Prime Minister know these things? 

Now, let the BJP MPs from Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, who won by getting the votes of tea garden people, say something in Delhi.” 

Rajya Sabha’s TMC MP Prakash Chikbaraik said: “Today we walked out of Rajya Sabha. I am a tea worker’s son. Delhi endangers Bengal’s tea industry. Four lakh tea workers will judge this. We will go to the people.” 

Meanwhile, Alipurduar BJP MP Manoj Tigga commented, “I have not read the entire Budget yet. I can only comment after reading it.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/no-support-announced-budget-disappoints-north-bengal-tea-industry-572949