GUWAHATI:The Tea Association of India (TAI) is seeking a bailout of the ailing tea industry in Assam’s Barak valley from the Union government by providing transport subsidy under the North East Industrial and Investment policy.
The TAI has also appealed to the political leaders and administrators of the Barak valley region to step up their efforts to improve the quality of lives of the inhabitants of the region through the tea industry which was a mainstay of the regional economy and substantially contribute to the exchequer.
In the remote south Assam region the tea industry was in a “bad shape” due to poor road communication which involves a heavy expenditure for carriage of various inputs from outside the state.
TAI’s Barak Valley branch sources said as the tea industry of the region dispatch their produce to the auction centres and markets located outside the state, transport subsidy will be of great help to the local platers in offsetting the additional cost of transportation.
“Poor state of physical and social infrastructure continues to remain another bottleneck in the path of development of the the backward region of the valley,” they said. “Deplorable condition of roads and bridges, non completion of conversion to broad gauge railways since time immemorial add to the misery of the planters of Barak valley,” they said.
Incidents of local taxes, duties and levee are the highest in Assam among all the tea growing states of the country, they said.
Sources said in 2011, while production in Assam’s Brahmaputra valley which contributes a major chunk of the total tea produce of the country, increased by about 32 million kg, Barak valley, coupled with Dooars and Terai region, were down as compared to 2010 by 3.5 m kg and 4.3 m kg respectively.
In Barak valley, tea prices in December 2011 dropped to a record Rs 77.55 per kg against Rs 112 per kg in April last year. TAI has also raised concern over incidence of local taxes, duties and levies which are the highest in Assam among the all tea growing states of the country.
“However we appreciate the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in the tea garden hospitals in the Barak valley which will go a long way in providing satisfactory health care services to the resident population of the gardens,” sources said.
The TAI has also appealed to the political leaders and administrators of the Barak valley region to step up their efforts to improve the quality of lives of the inhabitants of the region through the tea industry which was a mainstay of the regional economy and substantially contribute to the exchequer. (PTI)