Government unlikely to accept South Indian tea growers’ plea

FE reports

The Central government is unlikely to consider the demand of the South Indian tea growers seeking higher amount for tea replantation and rejuvenation on par with Darjeeling, jeopardising the proposed replanting exercise under the Special Purpose Tea Fund expected to take off from April.

Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh told FE he had received requests from some quarters in the South, including United Planters Association of South India (Upasi), for hiking the present subsidy limit and also raising the amount from Rs 2.73 lakh per hectare as proposed for Darjeeling. But the centre was unlikely to make changes in the present plan and things would go ahead as proposed, he said.