Lok Sabha Question No. 81 (STARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Closure of Tea Estates
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 81 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 th  FEBRUARY,2023

## CLOSURE OF TEA ESTATES

## * 81. SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of tea estates functional in the country especially in Assam and the amount of tea exported during the last three years, year-wise;
- (b) whether a number of tea estates in the country including few in Assam are either sick or are lying closed;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  period  since  when  these  have  remained  closed,  Statewise;
- (d) the number of such estates revived/reopened during the last three years, State-wise;
- (e) whether the Government has conducted/proposes to conduct any study to ascertain the causes behind these estates turning sick; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=h ( Jh ih;w'k xks;y )

## THE MINISTER OF  COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (f) OF  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 81 FOR ANSWER ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023 REGARDING 'CLOSURE OF TEA ESTATES'

(a): There  are  a  total  of  1,567  tea  estates  in  the  country,  of  which  762  tea  estates  are  in  Assam.  The amount of tea exported during the last three years is given below:

| Years                         |   Qty (Million Kgs.) |   Value (Rs. Cr.) |
|-------------------------------|----------------------|-------------------|
| 2019-20                       |               241.34 |           5457.1  |
| 2020-21                       |               203.79 |           5311.53 |
| 2021-22                       |               200.79 |           5415.78 |
| 2022-23 (upto December, 2022) |               189.18 |           5132.46 |

Source: Tea Board

(b) & (c) : There is no specific definition for sick / closed tea estates in the Tea Act, 1953. An estate is considered closed by the Tea Board if it has been declared closed by the respective State Government. Presently,  a  total  number  of  7  tea  estates  are  closed  in  West  Bengal  and  Kerala.  Currently  state government has not declared any tea estate as closed in  Assam. The details of tea estates in the Country that are currently closed, State-wise are given below:

|   Sl. No. | State       | Name of the Tea Estate   | Period for which gardens have remained closed   |
|-----------|-------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | West Bengal | Panighata T.E.           | More than 7 years                               |
|         2 | West Bengal | DheklaparaT.E.           | More than 16 years                              |
|         3 | West Bengal | LankaparaT.E.            | More than 7 years                               |
|         4 | West Bengal | Dooteriah T.E.           | More than 3 years                               |
|         5 | Kerala      | Peermade &Lonetree T.E.  | More than 6 years                               |
|         6 | Kerala      | Kottamala &Bonami T.E.   | More than 9 &8years                             |
|         7 | Kerala      | Bonnacord T.E.           | More than 7 years                               |

Source: Tea Board

(d): None  of  the  tea  estates  as  mentioned  above  have  been  reopened  during  the  last  three  years. However, 12 Tea Estates  which  were  earlier  closed  have  resumed  its  operations  during  the  last  three years.

(e) & (f): There is no specific definition for sick / closed tea estates in the Tea Act, 1953.  The Tea Board has not yet conducted any specific study to ascertain the causes behind closure of Tea Estates. The main reason for closure of tea estates may be attributed to poor garden management system, highly debtoriented funding strategy, ownership disputes, aging bush profile and resultant poor yield of the estates, etc.

*****