Lok Sabha Question No. 1319 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Status of Tea Gardens in India
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Manoj Tigga

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1319 ANSWERED ON 11/02/2025

## Status of Tea Gardens in India

## 1319.  SHRI MANOJ TIGGA:

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

- (a) the details and the total number of Tea Gardens in the country, State-wise;
- (b) the total number of tea gardens currently operational in the country, State-wise;
- (c) the number of sick or weak Tea Gardens in the country, State-wise;

(d) the details and the number of tea gardens in the country classified as sick or weak, Statewise;

(e) the number of closed Tea Gardens in the country, State-wise;

(f) the details and total number of tea gardens closed in the country during the last ten years, State-wise;

(g) the details of Government initiatives for closed, sick or weak Tea Gardens, State-wise; and

(h) the details of outline the initiatives and steps taken by the Government to uplift, revive and support closed, sick or weak tea gardens in the country, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री (श्री णिणिन प्रसाद)

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) & (b) The  details  of  total  tea  gardens  and  the  gardens  currently  operational  in  the country (state-wise) are attached as Annexure-I.

(c) & (d) There  is  no  specific  definition  for  sick  tea  gardens  as  per  Tea  Act,  1953.    A Garden  is  considered  closed  by  the  Tea  Board  on  the  basis  of  the  report  received  from  the concerned State Government.

(e) Currently, there are 16  closed tea  gardens  (13  in  West  Bengal  and  3  in  Kerala)  in  the country.

(f) The  details  of  closed  tea  gardens  in  the  country  during  last  ten  years  (state-wise)  are attached as Annexure-II.

(g) & (h) The major reasons for the closure of  gardens are low productivity  and  workers issues.  While  the  workers  issues  are  under  the  purview  of  concerned  State  Governments,  the Central Government through Tea Board implements the scheme 'Tea Development & Promotion Scheme' with the objective which inter alia include increasing productivity & quality of tea and welfare measures, under which there are provisions for providing book and uniform grants to the wards of workers of closed teaestates & gardens affected by natural calamities and assistance for disabled  and  critically  ill  dependants  of  workers  (kidney,  heart,  liver  diseases  and  cancer)  in closed tea gardens.

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## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in reply to Parts (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1319 for answer on 11.02.2025.

|   S. No. | State             |   Number ofTea Estates* |   Number of Operational Tea estates |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|        1 | Assam             |                     762 |                                 762 |
|        2 | West Bengal       |                     449 |                                 436 |
|        3 | Tripura           |                      52 |                                  52 |
|        4 | Arunachal Pradesh |                      30 |                                  30 |
|        5 | Himachal Pradesh  |                      15 |                                  15 |
|        6 | Bihar             |                       7 |                                   7 |
|        7 | Uttarakhand       |                       6 |                                   6 |
|        8 | Meghalaya         |                       2 |                                   2 |
|        9 | Manipur           |                       1 |                                   1 |
|       10 | Mizoram           |                       1 |                                   1 |
|       11 | Nagaland          |                       1 |                                   1 |
|       12 | Sikkim            |                       1 |                                   1 |
|       13 | Tamil Nadu        |                     129 |                                 129 |
|       14 | Kerala            |                      95 |                                  92 |
|       15 | Karnataka         |                      16 |                                  16 |
|       18 | Grand Total       |                    1567 |                                1551 |

Source: Tea Board

*as per the baseline survey conducted by the Tea Board in the year 2022.

## Annexure referred to in reply to Part (f) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1319 for answer on 11.02.2025.

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Tea Estate   | State       | Date of Closure   | Whether Currently Closed   |
|-----------|--------------------------|-------------|-------------------|----------------------------|
|         1 | Kottamala &Bonami        | Kerala      | 11.10 2014        | Yes                        |
|         2 | Bonaccord                | Kerala      | 05.03.2015        | Yes                        |
|         3 | Peermade &Lonetree       | Kerala      | 01.04.2016        | Yes                        |
|         4 | Madhu                    | West Bengal | 23.09.2014        | No                         |
|         5 | Panighata                |             | 10.10.2015        | Yes                        |
|         6 | Manabari                 |             | 21.03.2016        | No                         |
|         7 | Joybirpara               |             | 23.03.2016        | No                         |
|         8 | Kumlai                   |             | 15.11.2015        | No                         |
|         9 | Rahimabad                |             | 05.01.2016        | No                         |
|        10 | Dooteriah                |             | 09-06-19          | Yes                        |
|        11 | Dheklapara               |             | 11.03.2016        | Yes                        |
|        12 | Lankapara                |             | --                | Yes                        |
|        13 | Raipur                   |             | 12.09.2016        | Yes                        |
|        14 | Kalej Valley             |             | 09.06.2019        | No                         |
|        15 | Peshok                   |             | 09.06.2019        | No                         |
|        16 | Rungmook /Ceders         |             | 24.04.2023        | Yes                        |
|        17 | Moondakotee              |             | 24.09.2023        | Yes                        |
|        18 | Chongtong                |             | 28.09.2023        | Yes                        |
|        19 | Nagri                    |             | 28.09.2023        | Yes                        |
|        20 | Ambootia                 |             | 10.10.2023        | Yes                        |
|        21 | Raimatang                |             | 11.10.2023        | No                         |
|        22 | Dalmore                  |             | 15.10.2023        | No                         |
|        23 | Dalsingpara              |             | 15.10.2023        | Yes                        |
|        24 | Samsing                  |             | 16.10.2023        | No                         |
|        25 | Kalchini                 |             | 01.11.2023        | No                         |
|        26 | Ramjhora                 |             | 01.11.2023        | Yes                        |
|        27 | Bamandanga Tondoo        |             | 08.12.2023        | No                         |
|        28 | Sonali                   |             | 30.12.2023        | Yes                        |

Source: Tea Board

*Out of above 28 tea gardens, 12 re-opened.

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