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STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The TAI (Tea Association of India) has represented before the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, about the current precarious situation prevalent in the Tea Industry of North East India which covers the States of Assam, West Bengal, and Sikkim due to the non-availability and surge in prices of coal.
The matter has been further taken up by the MP (Member of Parliament), Darjeeling Constituency, (who is also a member of the 'Parliamentary Standing Committee – Commerce & Industry, Government of India') with the Union Minister of Coal & Mines.
The North East India tea sector constitutes 80% of the total tea production across India. Almost all of the manufacturing processes of tea require the consumption of energy. More or less 79% of tea production of North East India depends on conventional fuel — mainly coal. The Requirement of coal is 1.125 kg for the making of per kg-made tea, stated a press release by P.K. Bhattacharjee, Secretary-General, TAI.
Furthermore, the production of coal in Assam has been hampered due to the reported cause of the Forest Department has cancelled lease to the NEC (North Eastern Coalfield).
The present requirement of coal in the tea-growing areas of NE India is therefore primarily being met from the coalfields at Asansol/ Raiganj as well as the coal imported from Indonesia.
The months of October and November witness a production of 263-265 million kg of the crop in North East India. Therefore, the paucity of coal has caused severe distortion in the market value of available coal to the extent that the cost per tonne of coal has shot up from Rs 10,000 per MT to Rs 19,500 per MT.
This Association has sought "assistance support" in making the available adequate coal supply to North East India's TEs (Tea Estates) so that non-availability of coal does not disrupt production in manufacturing of tea.
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