Gorkha bandh: Darjeeling tea industry at a loss of Rs 1 cr/day

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's indefinite bandh since July 13 has seriously hit the tea industry in the region causing a whopping loss of Rs 1 crore daily.     

"The industry (is) incurring a loss of Rs 1 crore daily and a few gardens (have) started considering closure," Secretary of the Darjeeling Tea Association Sandeep Mukherjee said.     

Stating that it would be difficult to produce even 50 per cent of last year's yield of 9.5 million kg of Darjeeling tea this year, Mukherjee said that it would also adversely affect India's credibility in the international market.     

"If we fail to supply international buyers they will shift to other countries like Nepal and China. They are not concerned about our problems," he added.     

"The industry from the beginning of this fiscal has been plagued with problems one after another and the GJM bandh is the last nail in the coffin. If the bandh is not immediately called off many gardens would have no option but to close," he shared.