DIBRUGARH, Sept 27 - In a major crackdown on tea making factories that on purchase of green tea leaves from suppliers, have been arbitrarily fixing the prices on day to day basis, the Tea Board of India has directed all the field officers of the Tea Board to personally visit the tea processing units and respond to the report of arbitrary fixation of price immediately.
The Assam Tribune had recently reported that certain factories were not implementing the price sharing formula of the Tea Marketing Control Order (TMCO) of the Tea Board in matters of fixing price of the green tea leaves. The All Assam Small Tea Growers� Association (AASTGA) had alleged that green tea leaves purchasing factories were exploiting the small tea growers by not adhering to the minimum benchmark price determined monthly in respective districts.
In an order, the Tea Board said that the basis of declaration of price of green tea leaves on day to day basis is unreasonable and underlined that such practice must be avoided in future. The field officers have been asked to ascertain the reason behind the arbitrary price fixation.
