Tea Board's Darjeeling gardens revival package insignificant

Tea Board recommends 30 per cent of aid proposed by industry

The Tea Board of India's Rs 100 crore proposal to the Union Commerce Ministry to revive the 87-odd gardens in Darjeeling hasn't gone well with the industry as it feels it is too low an amount to provide any respite to the estates which resumed operations after an over 100-day closure.

Tea estates in Darjeeling closed abruptly in mid-June following escalated political tensions for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Industry officials felt that a bailout package of at least a Rs 300 crore was needed to restore the estates and the Board's recommendation falls too short of their projected requisite.

Against the recommended