Nine tea gardens reopened in Kerala

Nine tea gardens out of 17 closed ones in Kerala have reopened consequent to the rehabilitation package announced by the government recently.

New Delhi, Sept 16 : Nine tea gardens out of 17 closed ones in Kerala have reopened consequent to the rehabilitation package announced by the government recently.

The owners of the closed tea gardens were asked to avail the package by the end of August 2007 and reopen the gardens expeditiously, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement issued here today.

Five gardens are in the process of settling their accounts and would open soon. In West Bengal, one garden, out of 14 closed tea gardens, has reopened and started functioning. Three gardens are in the process of being taken over by the new management, the ministry said, adding that two gardens have been negotiating with the banks for restructuring of the outstanding dues.

Two more garden owners have indicated that they intend to sell the gardens and are on the look out for prospective entrepreneurs. All these are expected to reopen soon. The two closed tea gardens in Assam have got new management who is in the process of restarting the garden.

A rehabilitation was announced by the Centre on June 29 this year for 33 tea gardens, which were closed as on April 1, 2007. More than 30,000 workers employed in these gardens were affected due to their closure.

The package provides for restructuring of the outstanding bank dues, provision of fresh working capital with interest subsidy from the government, waiver of outstanding loan dues to Tea Board and settlement of Provident Fund dues in instalments.

Once the accounts of these gardens are regularized, they will become eligible for term loan for replanting under the Special Purpose Tea Fund, and upfront subsidy for the machinery items under the Quality Upgradation Scheme of Tea Board.

ANI