A day after West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government will not allow reopening of tea gardens of the state "immediately", planters and other stakeholders on Tuesday said they will wait till the administration gives the green signal to resume operations in the gardens.
Tea gardens in West Bengal located in Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling were closed since the Centre announced the 21- day lockdown from April 25 to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.
The chief minister on Monday rejected the Centre's advisory to re-open the plantation sectors, which include tea, with a maximum workforce of 50 per cent.
"Eleven members of a family in Kalimpong (in Darjeeling district) have been infected with COVID-19. People in tea gardens are scared. (The state has) borders with Assam, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. I think we should wait for a few more days (before reopening the tea gardens," she had said in a press conference.
The apex body of tea planters, Indian Tea Association (ITA), said the industry is hopeful that gardens will be allowed to resume operations with safety precautions soon.
ITA Secretary-general Arijit Raha told PTI that tea being an agri-labour intensive operation, it needs working capital enhancement through grants, extension of credit limit or loans.
He said the industry's demand of Rs 1,000 per week per worker grant-in-aid is pending with the central government.
Director of Luxmi Tea Company Rudra Chatterjee said, "We will abide by what the state government say. It is the state government's prerogative on when to re-open the tea gardens."
Whenever the gardens are allowed to re-open, social distancing and other hygiene norms will be maintained, he said.
Chairman of Darjeeling Tea Association Binod Mohan said, "We will do whatever the state government says. The highest priority is the workers and their safety issues".
Mohan said when the government feels that it is the right time to re-open, we will resume operations.
Chairman of Chamong Tea A Lohia said the state is taking precautionary measures in not re-opening the tea gardens.
"Since we have international borders around the tea growing areas, it is not right to restart operations now," Lohia told PTI.
The garden trade unions also objected the idea of re- opening the tea gardens.
"Even BJP MP Raju Bista has opposed to the idea of re-opening of the gardens at this point of time", he said.
Raha also said the industry demand for delayed deposit of PF and exemption from electricity charges have not been met yet.
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