Lok Sabha Question No. 1802 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: Closure of Tea Gardens
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Raju Bista

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1802 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 th  JULY, 2022

## CLOSURE OF TEA GARDENS

## 1802.   SHRI RAJU BISTA:

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

- (a) the details and the number of closed tea gardens in North Bengal districts, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong during the last ten years;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to reopen these closed tea gardens and ensure that these function properly;
- (c) whether the Government has received any proposals from West Bengal Government for taking over of the closed tea gardens in the State and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of welfare schemes, benefits and livelihood support provided by the Tea Board to impacted workers of closed tea gardens; and
- (e) the  details  of  projects  undertaken  by  Tea  Board,  including  funds  allocation  and utilization towards support of workers for their welfare?

## 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): At present, there are 8 tea gardens closed in the State of West Bengal. The details of closed tea gardens is given in Annexure.

(b): The tea gardens are monitored by the Central Government through the Tea Board.  In the past steps have been taken by the State Government by cancelling land lease of some closed tea gardens and taking possession of the land to find out new entrepreneurs.  One of the closed tea garden was

officially liquidated by the Hon'ble Calcutta High Court and put up for e-auction. However, no prospective  buyer  was  available.  Another  closed  tea  garden  is  under  the  possession  of  the Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) as per direction of (National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Kolkata Bench. The IRP is in the final stage of finalizing resolution plan.

(c): No proposal has been received from the State Government of West Bengal for taking over closed tea estates.

(d)  &  (e):  Tea  Board  has  implemented  certain  welfare  activities  under  Human  Resource Development  (HRD) component of the 'Tea Development and Promotion Scheme' during the Medium Term Framework period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 and extended till 2020-21, aimed at improving the health and hygiene of workers, education of wards of workers and imparting training to improve skills for growers/workers. Financial assistance of Rs.7.83 Crore has been provided by the Tea Board under the HRD component during this period. The 'Tea Development & Promotion Scheme' approved for implementation by Tea Board during the 15 th  Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 has a component for the welfare of small tea growers and their workers.

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## Details of closed tea gardens

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Tea Garden   | District   | Date of Closure   |
|-----------|--------------------------|------------|-------------------|
|         1 | Panighata Tea Estate     | Darjeeling | 10.10.2015        |
|         2 | Dheklapara Tea Estate    | Alipurduar | 11.03.2006        |
|         3 | Bundapani Tea Estate     | Alipurduar | 13.07.2013        |
|         4 | Dharanipur Tea Estate    | Jalpaiguri | 21.10.2013        |
|         5 | Redbank Tea Estate       | Jalpaiguri | 19.10.2013        |
|         6 | Surendranagar Tea Estate | Jalpaiguri | 19.10.2013        |
|         7 | Lankapara Tea Estate     | Alipurduar | July 2015         |
|         8 | Dooteriah Tea Estate     | Darjeeling | 09.06.2019        |

*****

## ANNEXURE