Lok Sabha Question No. 2402 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-15
Subject: Plantation Workers
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Harish Dwivedi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2402 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 th  MARCH,2023

## PLANTATION WORKERS

## 2402.    SHRI HARISH DWIVEDI:

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

- (a) whether there is any data regarding the workers engaged in plantation work in the country; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) & (b): State-wise details of estimated number of workers engaged in plantation works in the country for tea, coffee, rubber and small cardamom sectors are provided below:

## Tea Sector:

| S.No   | State             | Estimated number of Plantation workers   |
|--------|-------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Assam             | 738211                                   |
| 2      | West Bengal       | 333383                                   |
| 3      | Tripura           | 10438                                    |
| 4      | Arunachal Pradesh | 3399                                     |
| 5      | Sikkim            | 495                                      |
| 6      | Meghalaya         | 116                                      |
| 7      | Bihar             | 352                                      |
| 8      | Himachal Pradesh  | 425                                      |
| 9      | Mizoram           | 40                                       |
| 10     | Uttarakhand       | 105                                      |
| 11     | Manipur           | 0                                        |
| 12     | Nagaland          | 70                                       |
| 13     | Tamil Nadu        | 34955                                    |
| 14     | Kerala            | 32200                                    |
| 15     | Karnataka         | 2029                                     |
| 16     | Uttar Pradesh     | No tea plantations                       |
|        | Total             | 1156218                                  |

Source: Tea Board

| S.No.   | State                | Estimated number of Plantation workers   |
|---------|----------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Karnataka            | 5,17,708                                 |
| 2       | Kerala               | 44,194                                   |
| 3       | Tamil Nadu           | 31,260                                   |
| 4       | Non Traditional Area | 79707                                    |
| 5       | NER Region           | 3002                                     |
|         | Total                | 6,75,871                                 |

Source: Coffee Board (Provisional)

## Natural Rubber Sector

| S.No   | State        |   Estimated average daily employment in rubber plantations |
|--------|--------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Kerala       |                                                     304000 |
| 2      | Tamil Nadu   |                                                      13300 |
| 3      | Tripura      |                                                      45600 |
| 4      | Assam        |                                                      29800 |
| 5      | Karnataka    |                                                      29500 |
| 6      | Other States |                                                      28800 |
|        | Total        |                                                     451000 |

Source: Rubber board

## Small cardamom sector:

| S.No   | State      |   Estimated number of Plantation workers |
|--------|------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Kerala     |                                    73500 |
| 2      | Karnataka  |                                    21000 |
| 3      | Tamil Nadu |                                    10500 |
|        | Total      |                                   105000 |

Source: Spices Board

*****