Jairam Ramesh to hold discussions on Kerala tea gardens

New Delhi, Apr 3 (UNI) Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh will pay a visit to Kerala tomorrow and will have discussions on closed tea gardens with Minister of Labour and Excise, Tea Board and others.

''As per the amendment done by the Kerala Assembly in the Land Reforms Act, 1963, five per cent of area in tea gardens should be put to use for floriculture, cultivation of medicinal plants and other agricultural crops and tourism,'' Mr Ramesh told reporters here today.

This will increase the profitability of tea gardens, he said adding that he will also hold meetings with trade unions at Thiruvananthapuram.

Earlier in February, Mr Ramesh visited a couple of tea gardens in Idukki and called for taking initiatives to revive them. Even, Kannan Dewan Hill Plantation (KDHP) was asked to prepare a proposal for revival.

KDHP is a private limited company formed in April 2005 by former employees of Tata Tea Limited.

UNI