DIBRUGARH, Sept 5 � Impasse over price sharing on green tea leaves between All Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers� Association (AABLTMA) and All Assam Small Tea Growers� Association (AASTGA) has virtually ended as both the organizations decided to implement the guidelines of Tea Marketing Control Order (TMCO) to determine the price payable to the tea growers.
The tea growers and the tea manufacturers met at the Gymkhana Club here yesterday and arrived at a consensus to implement the TMCO guidelines. However, no written assurance was given to the small tea growers� body by the AABLTMA. The manufacturers� body, represented by its chairman Kanakeshwar Sensowa and 15 other members, agreed in principle to pay the small tea growers as per the TMCO rules.
AASTGA president Ashwini Baruah told The Assam Tribune that the meeting resolved to work cordially for implementation of the TMCO guidelines. �We may have to form a joint committee to monitor our affairs, as both growers and manufacturers are dependent on each other. We cannot rely on Tea Board and District Monitoring Committees, which are paralysed in this region,� he said.
The AABLTMA reiterated that small tea growers must adhere to their agreement with the manufacturers otherwise the TMCO would have no meaning. Moreover, since organized sector tea companies are also covered by the TMCO, the meeting said that the organized sector should also be made equally amenable to the Order otherwise mere enforcement on the small sector would not bear fruit.
During the meeting, the small growers� central leaders said they would take the responsibility to take the violators to task. They also agreed to do away with the syndicate system of green tea leaves supply.
Sensowa had specially requested the growers to comply with the norms of good green tea leaf supply as defined by Tocklai or Tea Board, to the manufacturers to claim TMCO benefit.
