Tea biggies rush in as West Bengal puts 5 gardens on sale

KOLKATA: Leading tea companies like BK Birla-promoted Jay Shree Tea, Ambootia Group, Bagaria Group and the state-run Andrew Yule have shown interest in becoming strategic investors in five tea estates that have been put on the block by the Mamata Banerjee government in a move to privatise ailing government companies.

Corporate leaders of Bengal Inc have applauded the government's decision which, many believe, would help Mamata portray herself as an industry-friendly chief minister.

Interestingly, the first privatisation move comes within a fortnight of Amit Mitra taking over the additional charge of the state commerce and industry department.

Three — Rungmook-Cedars, Rangaroon and Pandam — of the five tea estates that have been put under hammer are located in Darjeeling. The other two — Hilla and Mahua — are in Dooars. Around 3,000 people are employed in these five gardens.

"We are keen to take the management control of Rangaroon and Pandam tea estates in Darjeeling. We have already submitted our proposal to the industry minister. Even the labour unions in these two gardens want us to take over the estates," Kallol Datta, chairman and managing director, Andrew Yule, told ET.