Tea Board to prepare draft amendment of Tea Act

With the union commerce ministry planning to amend the Tea Act 1953, the Tea Board of India (TBI) is preparing a draft incorporating industry views in this case, a senior official said Tuesday.

"The commerce ministry is considering amending the Tea Act 1953," TBI secretary A.M. Rajan told IANS, adding the board is preparing the draft in consultation with the industry players.

"Thereafter it will be sent to the commerce ministry."

It is learnt the revision will primarily address cultivation monitoring and well as expand regulatory moves from TBI.

The present Tea Act conforms to the International Tea Agreement (ITA) which expired in 1956, following which modifications were not made to keep it updated to meet the needs of tea growers and marketers.

The revision of the Tea Act is poised to address present concerns in the trade and may extend the regulatory powers of TBI.

The present TBI is functioning as a statutory body of the central government under the commerce ministry. The board comprises 31 members drawn from members of parliament, tea producers, tea traders, tea brokers, consumers, and representatives of governments from the principal tea producing states, and trade unions. The board is reconstituted every three years.