The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday demanded the centre to sanction Rs. 500 crore and asked the state government to arrange irrigation facilities for the tea gardens of the state.
Addressing a press conference at Agartala congress bhawan, the Pradesh Congress President Birajit Sinha on Friday said, “The central government should sanction a fund of minimum of Rs. 500 crore for the irrigation facilities in the tea gardens of the state.”
“The state government should sit with the tea garden workers across the state and sign MoU to ensure irrigation facilities in the tea gardens so as to save and protect the tea plantations for enhancing the productions,” Sinha told reporters.
Sinha also demanded the government to take over and revive the four abandoned tea gardens in Unakoti district of the state and said, “The Hiracherra tea garden in Unakoti district is the oldest tea garden in Tripura which started producing tea since the King’s rule, but during the tenure of the then Left front government, the tea garden along with other three – Sonamukhi, Debosthal and D.Nothingcherra were left abandoned.”
He also demanded the government to stop conversion of tea gardens into rubber plantations and restore the tea gardens where it has been converted.
On the other hand, congress leader Szarita Laitphlang addressing the press conference had demanded the government to build a Tea Auction Centre in Tripura. She said, “Despite Tripura being the 5th largest tea producing state in India, the tea producers need to go to the tea auction centres at neighbouring Assam and Kolkata as the state has no tea auction centre of its own in Tripura.”
Sinha on Friday said that the Tripura Cha Mazdoor Union (INTUC) will meet in deputation with the labour commissioner on April 12 next to press for a 15-point charter of demands.
