The New Nation - Internet Edition

ACCORDING to a long-drawn plan the government would take measures to bring about a thorough change to the tea sector. An official meeting in this regard with the commerce adviser of the interim government in the chair decided to develop varieties of tea, as per demands of the growing clients, for supplying saplings so that the sector got better yields and more diversity in flavour. The meeting, attended by the tea garden owners and the Tea Association leaders besides officials of different ministries concerned, also discussed various problems plaguing the sector as well as the difficulties in marketing products both at home and abroad.

The meeting also decided that the government would ensure the supply of fertilisers to tea garden owners through the Bangladesh Tea Board every year. The Bangladesh Tea Research Institute at Srimangal has been asked to develop varieties of tea with more diversity in flavour. Meanwhile, the government would go by the old agreements of leasing out land for tea gardens in greater Sylhet and Chittagong until new contracts are struck with entrepreneurs following the demand of the tea garden owners for renewal of the leases, many of which are set to expire shortly.

The old leases would continue as 'interim arrangements' before the renewal is made. In this regard, the issue of ensuring welfare of the tea garden workers in the five tea growing districts also came up for discussion when the tea association requested the government to increase food allotment to 1,500 tonnes from existing quota of 1,000 tonnes a day. According to official statistics, there are 104,000 workers in the sector but the tea association claims the number now is 150,000. The tea association is also for improved power supply and better roads connecting the tea gardens for speedier transportation.