Assam Government plans major outreach for 200 years of tea industry

 GUWAHATI/AGARTALA: To mark the 200 years of the state’s tea industry, the government has proposed organising numerous events, including road shows in major cities across the country as well as abroad, to promote Assam Tea as a brand and showcase the rich socio-cultural heritage of the tea garden communities.

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog said that it has been proposed in the state budget (2023–24), presented in the assembly last week, that the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), 2020, will be further strengthened to incentivize the production of orthodox tea and specialty tea. She said that, as promised, an increase in the production subsidy for orthodox and specialty tea from Rs 7 to Rs 10 per kg is already under way. However, to celebrate the 200 years of Assam tea, the budget announced that an enhanced production subsidy of Rs 12 per kg will be extended for 2023–24. Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for this scheme.

The budget has also announced the extension of a tax holiday on agricultural income tax for the next three years, the development of infrastructure in the tea garden areas, special relief, a waiver of all the electricity dues arrears of tea garden workers living in the lines, a wage compensation scheme for pregnant women in tea garden areas, and the construction of 10,000 houses under the Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana.

The minister said: “Our government will continue supporting Assam Tea Corporation Limited against the payment of outstanding liabilities of interest on the provident fund in a phased manner, keeping in mind the greater interest of ATCL workers.”

Around three per cent reservation in government jobs, within the OBC quota, will be considered for them, subject to fulfilling the legal stipulations in this regard. The tea industry bodies hailed the Assam government’s decisions on the occasion of the bicentenary of the state’s tea industry. The Tea Association of India (TAI) Assam branch secretary Dipanjol Deka said: “The proposal to hold road shows and other events across India to promote Assam tea as part of the 200-year celebration of Assam tea would be of huge benefit to the state tea industry.” North Eastern Tea Association adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty said that they are delighted by the announcement of the celebration of 200 years of the Assam tea industry in such a grand manner by the state government.

”The proposal to organize road shows in major cities across the country as well as abroad to promote Assam tea as a brand and showcase the rich socio-cultural heritage of the tea garden communities would go a long way in increasing the per capita consumption of tea, which is the need of the hour,” Barkakoty said. He said that the unlocking of five per cent of tea garden land for agriculture and allied activities would help to bring additional revenue and thereby contribute to the viability of the tea industry. The extension of the tax holiday on agricultural income tax for the next three years would be helpful to the tea industry, Barkakoty pointed out. Assam, which produces roughly 55 per cent of India’s tea, has more than 10 lakh tea workers in the organised sector, working in about 850 big estates. Besides, there are lakhs of small tea gardens owned by individuals. The tea belts of the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys are home to more than 60 lakh people. (IANS)

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