Tea Board has given Rs. 6.04 crores to 103 manufacturers, growers, and scheduled caste beneficiaries in South India. This is under the 4th tranche of subsidy of the current fiscal year. According to M Balaji, Executive Director of Tea Board, with this disbursal, Rs. 19.92 crores as a total subsidy has been provided to 1215 beneficiaries in four tranches in South India.
According to him, under the Plantation Development Scheme, the Board had provided Rs. 63.02 lakh subsidy to 11 big growers and Rs. 2.39 lakh subsidy to 15 small growers. The Board had disbursed a total subsidy of Rs. 5.34 crores to 45 manufacturers. This was as an incentive for the production of Orthodox tea.
Under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan Scheme, the Board had disbursed Rs. 4.96 lakh subsidy to 32 beneficiaries.
The objective of the subsidies is to increase production, quality, and productivity in the growing and manufacturing of tea.
Balaji informs that the subsidy amount is transmitted directly to the bank account of the beneficiary, along with advice through SMS.
The Board also extends financial help to disabled people working in plantations towards medical treatments like those of kidney, heart, and cancer.
In addition, the Tea Board offers subsidy to Small Tea Growers’ Self Help Groups as a step towards the upgradation of their common facility and to encourage collective participation to enhance the overall quality of tea.
