GUWAHATI, May 16 � The Union government has effected amendment to the Tea (Marketing) Control Order (TMCO), through a gazette notification.
The amendment has defined a small tea grower as a person owning tea growing area up to 10.12 hectares (25 acres).
It has provided for district green leaf price monitoring committees with representatives from the bought leaf factories (BLFs), small tea growers (STGs) and estate factories (EF), one officer of the Tea Board not below the rank of assistant director. The Collector or the Deputy Commissioner of such tea-growing district shall be its ex-officio chairman and the Board official will be the member secretary of each of these committees.
These committees will monitor the average green leaf price payable to the small tea growers for each succeeding month based on the previous month�s average auction price of BLF of such districts by applying the price sharing formula as notified by the registering authority. Besides, such committees will also oversee the compliance of payment of such average price to the STGs and bring the errant BLFs to the notice of the registering authority. The committees shall have to sit once every month.
The amendment has made applicable the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, or the rules or regulations made thereunder for the tea industry.
It has incorporated a provision that a factory owner would be able to complete setting up his factory/factories without obtaining the no-objection certificate under the TMCO and then be able to apply for obtaining registration of each of the factories owned or controlled by him.
It has further said that no registered manufacturer shall carry on the activities to enhance the production capacity of his existing factory without prior intimation and obtaining the no-objection certificate from the Tea Board. After obtaining the no-objection certificate from the Board and completion of the capacity enhancement of the factory, the registered manufacturer shall apply to the registering authority in Form �A� for changing the registration of the extended factory, it said.
The registering authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, refuse to grant enhancement of the existing capacity to an applicant and shall furnish a copy of the order so passed to him. But before passing such an order refusing permission to grant enhancement of the capacity, an opportunity to be heard shall be granted to the applicant, said the amendment.
It also said, �Every registered bought leaf tea factory shall on and from the date of commencement of the Tea (Marketing) Control Amendment Order, 2015, sell not less than 70 per cent of the total tea manufactured in a calendar year through public tea auctions in India��
It further provides that in case a registered manufacturer fails to submit his monthly returns for six consecutive months, it shall be deemed that the manufacturer has ceased his operation of manufacturing tea and the registration certificate shall stand suspended.
