Smuggling Out Coal, Fertilizer Starves Barak Tea Industry

Smuggling Out Coal, Fertilizer Starves Barak Tea Industry

SILCHAR: The tea industry of Barak has many problems to tackle to keep the gardens afloat. Some problems are artificial, created by a handful of ill-motivated persons, backed, of course, by a political lobby. A strong syndicate runs the business of smuggling out coal from Meghalaya and takes it to unauthorized depots in the valley dotting along NH-6 and to Bangladesh under the very nose of administration and police. This has raised many an eyebrow. Over 100 coal-laden trucks cross the check gate at Malidahar on the Assam-Meghalaya boundary. The modus-operandi was pointed out in detail in The Sentinel.

Along with coal, fertilizer meant for agriculture and tea industry of the valley is also smuggled out all the way to Myanmar and other destinations. The syndicate is active here and the method of operation too is unchanged. The unlawful exploitation of stone and sand from the river system of the valley is yet another disturbing phenomenon. Just on the eve of parliamentary poll, a BJP politician was shot dead close to the vicinity of this town by a gan

g involved in stone syndicate, giving the ominous signal it might take its toll in coal and fertilizer business as well.

The illegal trade in coal and fertilizer has cast its dark shadow on the Barak tea industry. According to an industry source, coal is the only source of fuel for manufacturing tea in the factories of the valley gardens. For decades, tea gardens procured coal through local traders and suppliers at a reasonable price. But from 2018, the supply became irregular and costlier due to the long-distance transportation. This has adversely impacted the cost of production and become a hurdle for the tea industry in the competitive market, pointed out the source.

The tea industry has urged the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Laya Madduri, to move the State government for setting up a coal depot at a centrally located area of this town. This will enable the entire manufacturing units of this valley to procure coal at a reasonable price and make its presence felt in the global market. Both the Indian Tea Association (ITA) and the Tea Association of India (TAI) have made identical representation before the Deputy Commissioner. But the question is: can the administration put an end to stronghold of the syndicate?

Fertilizer is yet another important component of cultivation. Sadly and strangely enough, at the cost of tea industry, fertilizer is openly and illegally transported from this valley to other destinations and even to Myanmar. As it goes on, the cultivation work in the tea gardens has been badly hit mainly due to the artificial scarcity of urea, resulting in loss of crops. This has forced the planters to take recourse to irregular application of manure in tea gardens. The loss on this count is both in terms of quality and quantity. The district administration has been impressed upon to ensure that the urea meant for local cultivation is not diverted elsewhere. The challenge before the administration is, can it take the bull by the horn?

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