Government apathy leaves small tea growers disgruntled

From our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, February 9:  The Central and State governments letting down and overlooking the matter of providing fincial security to the small tea growers, irrespective of repeated demands by the All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association (AASTGA), has taken a new turn with the association deciding to take stern action by blocking the entry of political parties in the region during election campaigns in the upcoming days.

The Association, which has changed the image of the State’s rural economy, alleged that practically the Central Government had been futile to work out the vital tribulations of the small tea growers.  The issue of establishment of mini/ micro mini factory which was discussed at the 224th tea board meeting, is still trapped under critical process. Moreover, to tender relief to the STGs  from dumping their green tea leaves or to sell them at lower prices to the tea gardens and factories, the Association has demanded  the Tea Board to change its policies under One Window Policy, for setting up of factories.

 The president and general secretary of AASTGA, Hemanta Gohain and Rohit Borgohain respectively, expressed their dissatisfaction over the fact that the proposed schemes charted for development of STGs, council under Tea Board of Assam, had not been implemented yet.

The setting up tea auction centres in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Tezpur has also been demanded by the Association to resolve the areas of concern relating to tea auctioning. The non-utilization of   Upkar Asoni in the appropriated manner is also a matter of concern for the Association.