The Hindu : Kerala News : Centre to initiate steps to reopen tea estates

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Sunday, Aug 05, 2007
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Kerala

Centre to initiate steps to reopen tea estates

Staff Reporter

Jairam Ramesh says Centre will invoke tea Act for takeover

The State has more than 150 tea estates
Replantation scheme mainly meant for large tea plantations

THEKKADY: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh has said that the Union Government will initiate steps to takeover those estates that do not evince interest in reopening.

He was speaking to presspersons who were on a visit to the factory of RBT tea estates at Manjumalai, about 10 km from Thekkady, here on Saturday. The estate was reopened after a gap of almost six years.

The takeover action would be in accordance with Section 16E of Tea Act, 1953. As per the Act, if a tea garden is lying closed for more than three months, the Union Government has the power to takeover it without investigation for the purpose of finding a new owner.

The provisions of the Act had already been invoked in West Bengal. One months notice was served on the closed tea estates there. Similar action would be initiated in Kerala next month, the Minister said. The Act had never been invoked so far, he said.

Seventeen tea gardens had been remaining closed in Kerala out of which eight were reopened. These include four of RBT, three of MMJ Plantations and one of Bonacaud. Two more would be reopened before Onam. Two other plantations were small ones, situated in Wayanad. Hence the real issue of reopening would revolve around five estates in Kerala.

The State has more than 150 tea estates which produce about 8 per cent of the total tea production in the country. Out of the 14 closed tea estates in West Bengal, only one was reopened.

A committee consisting of representatives from State and Union Governments had been set up in West Bengal to look into the claims of the tea estates. A similar committee would be formed in Kerala too.

The Centre has already come forward with the Special Tea Fund for rejuvenating the tea plantations. Under the replantation scheme, Rs.3.44 lakh would be provided per hectare.

The amount had been raised from Rs.2.72 lakh fixed earlier, based on the fact that the plantations in South India incurred higher labour cost. The amount has components of 25 per cent subsidy from the Union Government, 25 per cent share of the owner, and 50 per cent soft loan. The scheme is mainly meant for large tea plantations where the average age of plants exceeds 50 years.

The Minister, who inaugurated the functioning of the RBT factory, said apprehensions remained among the workers whether it would continue to function uninterruptedly. Francis George, MP, thanked the trade union leaders for the cooperation. Bijimol, MLA, alleged that the management was violating some of the clauses of the agreement signed between the management and the trade unions. But Manoj Mohan Sarma, who spoke on behalf of the management, said the company had fulfilled the agreement and sought cooperation of the workers.

Later, the Minister visited Vagamon where three plantations of MMJ plantations were situated.

The Minister made it clear that the Centre was bent on taking firm action against closed tea estates. Reji Michael, who spoke for the company, said trade unions were no hindrance to the running of the plantations.

But some labourers, later, told mediapersons that the company was selling some of the properties, especially the labour settlement areas.

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