A lack of manpower in its tea estates is among the many causes for Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA) to incur losses. The authorities is taking measures to enhance productiveness, Minister for Forests M. Mathiventhan mentioned within the Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a particular calling consideration movement moved by Leader of the Opposition Edappadi Ok. Palaniswami, Mr. Mathiventhan mentioned there have been solely about 3,800 staff to have a tendency the tea estates unfold over about 4,000 hectares. According to the norms of the United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI), 1.75 staff must be engaged for gathering tea leaves for one hectare. “Going by this norm, we need to have about 6,000 workers, but we have only 3,800 workers and 180 officials,” he mentioned.
Though there have been about 6,400 hectares of tea estates underneath TANTEA within the late Nineties, about 1,900 hectares was handed over to the Forest Department between 2012 and 2019, when the AIADMK was in energy. Over 500 hectares was transferred throughout the current DMK authorities, Mr. Mathiventhan mentioned.
Listing the measures being taken to enhance the productiveness of the estates, the Minister mentioned steps have been being taken to search out out the soil nutrient standing and a enterprise analytical examine, being carried out by a personal firm, was within the remaining stage of preparation.
Tourism Minister Ok. Ramachandran (who held the Forest portfolio earlier) mentioned the AIADMK authorities didn’t use ample fertilizer to maintain the estates wholesome. This led to tea leaves of poor high quality.
Moving the movement, Mr. Palaniswami mentioned tea estates as previous as 40 years have been destroyed on March 29 and staff staged protests on March 30. He urged the federal government to rescind an order returning a component of the estates from TANTEA to the Forest Department. He additionally demanded that the land be given again to the everlasting staff.
Pon. Jayaseelan of the AIADMK (Gudalur) mentioned over 5,300 acres of the TANTEA tea estates had been returned to the Forest Department over time. He additionally referred to the most recent switch of the plantations to the Forest Department by means of an order issued on October 3 final yr.
