Centre to take over tea estates if not re-opened in a month
The Centre would take over the closed tea estates if they were not reopened within a month utilsing the assistance from the special package.
By PTI |
IDUKKI: The Centre would take over the closed tea estates if they were not reopened within a month utilsing the assistance from the special package, Union Minister of state for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating a tea processing unit at Manjumala estate at Vandiperiyar near here, Ramesh said such estates would be taken over under Section 16-E of the Tea Board Act and entrusted with new managements.
He said the Centre had offered a special package for resumption of tea estates which were remaining closed.
While the package offered a sum of Rs 1.75 lakh per hectare in other states, the amount was fixed at Rs 3.50 lakh in the case of Kerala considering higher labour wages in the state, he said.
In all, 17 tea estates had been closed down over the years.Of this, eight estates had expressed readiness to reopen on the basis of negotiations held with the state and central authorities, he said.
Lok Sabha member from Idukki, Francis George, and Peermadu MLA E S Bijimol were also present.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating a tea processing unit at Manjumala estate at Vandiperiyar near here, Ramesh said such estates would be taken over under Section 16-E of the Tea Board Act and entrusted with new managements.
He said the Centre had offered a special package for resumption of tea estates which were remaining closed.
While the package offered a sum of Rs 1.75 lakh per hectare in other states, the amount was fixed at Rs 3.50 lakh in the case of Kerala considering higher labour wages in the state, he said.
In all, 17 tea estates had been closed down over the years.Of this, eight estates had expressed readiness to reopen on the basis of negotiations held with the state and central authorities, he said.
Lok Sabha member from Idukki, Francis George, and Peermadu MLA E S Bijimol were also present.
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