SONARI, April 9 - State Minister (Independent Charge) of Disaster Management and Mahmora MLA Jugen Mohan today held a meeting with the small tea growers and owners of bought tea leaf factories of Charaideo district at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner, Charaideo. Sonari MLA Nabonita Handique, Deputy Commissioner Palash Ranjan Gharphalia and Superintendent of Police Anand Mishra were present in the meeting.
The meeting discussed threadbare the problems faced by the small tea growers due to ongoing lockdown. The small tea growers of Charaideo district have been contributing a lot to the overall tea industry of the State. As the plucking season usually starts from the middle of March every year, but this year the small tea growers are not able to pluck green tea leaves in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting decided to ask the owners of the brought tea leaf factories to start production work from Friday next. The small tea growers would pluck green tea leaves and do other works by engaging 50 per cent of labourers and provide sanitization facility like soap and water etc. The collection agents of green tea leaves would apply at tea factories through district committee with photos of drivers and helpers and take permission from the office of Deputy Commissioner, else the police will be forced to take necessary action. The labourers will have to maintain social distancing at the time of plucking and carrying the green tea leaves. The violators of these norms will have to face action.
