Efforts to reopen closed tea gardens in North Bengal

Kolkata, May 10 (UNI) Encouraged by its success in reviving some tea gardens in Kerala, Union Commerce Minister for State Jairam Ramesh will call on West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee tomorrow to discuss about reopening of fourteen tea gardens in North Bengal.

The state government was making efforts to revive these gardens as Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb had already met several stakeholders including planters and the Indian Tea Association's members.

Some 30,000 workers of those gardens rendered jobless for long after the closure of fourteen tea estates in Jalpaiguri district.

The garden managements have piled up liabilities to the tune of Rs.

237 crore in provident fund and bank dues.

Sources said that most of the gardens have been closed since 1999 when a crisis gripped the tea industry.

The Centre and the state government's main aim was to bring these gardens back on stream so as to enable them to qualify for the tea replantation and rejuvenation fund.

UNI