Govt rules out transport subsidy to tea exporters of South

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) The Government today ruled out extending the transport subsidy to tea exporters in the South, but said it was open to the proposal.

''We can examine the proposal but for the time being the subsidy would be applicable only to Amingaon Inland Container Depot near Guwahati,'' Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jairam Ramesh told the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour.

He had been asked whether the South Indian Tea Exporters Association had requested the Union Government for extension of the transport sunsidy.

Mr Ramesh said subsidy, at the rate of Rs 1.50 per Kg of tea, had been extended to Amingaon because of its locational disadvantage, but in ther case of other areas like Coimbatore, there was no such disadvantage.

Pointing out that the government had recently liberalised freight charges on horticultural produce, he said exporters of other states can enjoy that subsidy.

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