The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee recently announced the government’s resolution to increase land-share for non-tea related business during the Bengal Global Summit in Kolkata. In her plenary speech the chief minister has said, “from now on, wherever in tea gardens the land is available and tea plantations are not there, we will allow 30 per cent of such land for hotel business, commercial utilisation and eco-tourism.”
All tea gardens are government land leased by tea garden owners. Earlier in 2019, the Trinamool Congress government allowed to utilise 15 per cent of the total land up to 150 acres according to the Tea Tourism and Allied Business Policy. The decision is to inspire tea estate owners to look for alternative business activities. The state believes this will allow tea gardens to generate additional revenue at a time the tea plantation sector is facing tough time of oversupply compare to demand.
The chief minister’s announcement to raise the limit further did not go well with the people living in the areas. This prompted the opposition to use it as a political agenda; even TMC’s ally in Darjeeling, Anit Thapa led-Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha raised concerns. Thapa says that the government might make a policy but if it is against the interest of people and the industry he will raise the voice of the people.
BJP’s Darjeeling MP Raju Bista cautioned that the policy could leave indigenous communities in the area – including the Gorkhas, Adivasis, Rajbangshis, Rabha, Koche, Meche, Toto and Bengalis – homeless.
“This decision is extremely dangerous. Tea tourism has already led to the construction of luxury hotels and resorts on lands cultivated by tea workers for generations. Now, the state government wants to further commercialise these lands for real estate development. This is deeply worrying,” Bista stated. He thinks if this 30 per cent land diversion policy is implemented, it will mark the end of the tea industry and allow real estate to take over. After tea garden workers, cinchona garden workers, who have also been denied ancestral land rights, may face similar displacement,” Bista warned.
Similarly, the CPIM-affiliated Darjeeling District Chiyaa Kaman Mazadur Union, condemned the decision, calling it “extremely dangerous and fatal” for the tea industry. Its president Saman Pathak says, “The tea industry is the backbone of the economy in Darjeeling and North Bengal. Allowing 30 per cent of tea garden land for commercial use will have disastrous consequences. The previous government’s policy permitting 15 per cent of land for tourism had already altered the demography of tea gardens. Doubling this percentage is unacceptable.” He also highlighted that tea garden workers, despite residing there for over a century, have not been granted land ownership.
However, experts say it is a novel approach as tea production is limited. Over 150 tea gardens in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri are likely to get the benefit from this new policy and improve their financial health.
Tea garden owners welcomed the decision. The policy will be most beneficial to sick or weak tea gardens. Earlier some tea gardens in Darjeeling and Siliguri availed the government’s scheme. Prominent ventures include Ambuja Neotia’s resort operated by Taj in Makaibari tea estate and May Fair Tea Resort at Chumta Tea Estate at Siliguri. Now several gardens have reportedly submitted proposals to develop tourism, healthcare and education facilities.
“More than 99 per cent of gardens don’t have even 1 per cent of land for other use. Ideally, they should spell out that if required weak bushes which are non-remunerative can be uprooted for other purposes without the reduction of permanent man power of the garden,” remarked A N Singh, executive vice chairman & managing director of Goodricke group.
Confederation of Small Tea Growers Association of India (CISTA) president Bijoygopal Chakraborty believes the chief minister has good intention. She wants to help the tea industry knowing the fact that the industry is bleeding. But 30 per cent is too high.
Indian tea industry is facing several challenges due to climate changes, aging plantation, declining soil fertility, input cost escalation, lack of quality crops, high labour cost, and surplus production. All these factors led to high unsustainable cost of production for tea.
The need of the hour is that both state and Central government should work together and find the solution of revival of tea industry through a sustainable model for this highly labour-intensive industry. The West Bengal government’s scheme on tea land is a small step towards the greater goal.