Image used only for representative purposes. | Photo credit: Debash Bhaduri
The Jalpaiguri Jalpaiguri Small Tea Association on Tuesday (January 28), Western Bengala has hosted the measure of Prime Minister Mamata Banerje to instruct the main secretary to investigate the reasons behind the decision of the Tea Board of the last date of Disad and the free entry of Nepal Tea. They also appealed to the government to take initiatives to protect the community.
According to their official statement, small tea producers contribute to more than 64% of total tea produced in the state and “free admission of damage to Nepal tea, mainly Darjeeling & Dooars, Tea Tea.” They also declared that the solid effect of climate change shows in the pattern for the production of sprinkle tea.
The association also stressed that tea in 2024 was the same for the states of Assam and Western Bengal, but, according to reports, the tea board “did not consulted with tea producers in Bengal.” They also affirmed that the non -scientific and unrealistic order of the “Tea Board is not realistic of 2024 related to early closure shows how the Government. Private Western Bengala to obtain GST of almost 1000 million ruptures of total billing.”
His statement also added: “Tea producers faced a great financial loss that are mainly of rural indigenous people of latest minority classes. More than 15 Lakh of people who are directly or indirectly compromised with these small tea crops. The Bengala STG had to spend their days without any income during the last two months to continue until mid -March. They had to sell their highly perishable products below the cost of production, which is a regular phenomenon. ”
In the letter, tea producers also left suggestions and appealed to the government to take initiatives to protect the community in the long term. One of its suggestions was to keep the starting season until December 31 every year in Bengala and follow the Ministry of Commerce of the Union and the Indian Tea Board at a right price in its green tea leaves.
Small tea producers also asked the CM to enter schemes related to agriculture so that tea producers help them in their continuous financial struggles and constantly increased battles with climate change. They affirmed that they could not take advantage of artificial irrigation, crop insurance to mitigate the problems of climate change in their cultivation and, therefore, asked him to include them in their three agricultural schemes, namely Krishak Bandhu, Bangla Sashyo Bima ( BSB), Bangla Krishi Sechh Yozona (BKSY).
Published – January 29, 2025 02:24 am ist