The Tea Board of India has decided to extend financial help in the form of subsidies to self-help groups (SHG) of small growers to encourage the formation of these clusters. The highest ceiling of such assistance has been fixed at Rs 5 lakh for each SHG, which must have at least 50 growers as members. The total area of plantation should not be less than 50 acres, or 20 hectares.

GUWAHATI, July 6

At a time when the condition of tea industry in Assam started improving after going through a slump for years, wrong policies of the Government may seriously affect the industry during the peak plucking season.

Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman speaks at a consultation at the DPHE conference room in the city yesterday. On his right is Jan Mollar Hansen and on his left is Abu Bakar Siddique. Photo: STAR Safe water supply and sanitation in the tea gardens of the country is very poor, said the speakers at a consultation yesterday. Moreover, the administrative barriers make it hard to carry out development programmes there, they added.

Speakers at a consultation on Monday stressed the need for ensuring the supply of safe drinking water and proper sanitation in the tea gardens. They also highlighted the need for running the development programmes in a holistic way to rid the people in the tea gardens of the present inhuman condition. NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation organised the consultation on

Bandhs sponsored by various organisations are affecting tea industry of the State with a cascading effect on the quality of its products. This is when the tea industry here is on the path of resurgence after a several-year-long recession. Vice-chairman of the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) Bidyananda Barkakoty said that the frequent bandhs called by different organisations are affecting the tea industry severely. In the current month alone, there were three statewide bandhs within the span of a week, he said.

JORHAT