Relief packages for closed tea gardens
The Centre is preparing a financial relief package for 33 closed tea gardens in the country, which is expected to get a Cabinet approval within 45 days, Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
By PTI |
KOLKATA: The Centre is preparing a financial relief package for 33 closed tea gardens in the country, which is expected to get a Cabinet approval within 45 days, Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
Ramesh told reporters here that the Commerce Ministry had already submitted a revival package to the Finance Ministry. He said the Cabinet is expected to give its approval within 45 days.
Out of the 33 closed gardens, 17 were in Kerala, 14 in West Bengal and two in Assam. Altogether, the livelihood of 35,000 families were at stake due to the closure of these tea gardens.
Ramesh said the package would include rescheduling of loans by banks, sanction of working capital and interest subsidy, issue of fresh term loans, and waiver of Tea Board dues and penalties on statutory payments.
While the banks would spend Rs 80 crore over the next five years, the government would provide Rs 58 crore over the same period.
Meanwhile, the garden owners would have to make fresh investments for improving the plantation.
While one closed tea garden had already been re-opened in Kerala in April, nine more are in the pipeline during the present month.
The Commerce Ministry was now taking steps to re-open the closed gardens in West Bengal.
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