HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, April 2: Satra Mukti Sangram Samity Central Committee, Tinsukia District Committee, and Tirap Jagun Regional Committee jointly held a press conference at Hotel Patkai Inn, Jagun, on Tuesday against the Tea Board of India’s unilateral decision to ensure that brought leaf tea manufacturing industries will not produce tea from April 1. This decision has created an undesirable atmosphere among the small tea growers of Margherita sub-division as well as in the state.
According to the Tea Board of India’s decision, the recommendation states that 100 percent of the tea produced by brought leaf factories can be sold through public auction, and the tea unable to prepare due to the use of pesticides has directly troubled the small tea growers.
At the press conference, the student bodies criticised the management of the Tea Board of India, brought leaf factory owners, as well as the BJP-led government both at the union and state levels. Rahul Chetry, the general secretary of Satra Mukti Sangram Samity Central Committee, demanded that all brought leaf tea factories cancel their decision not to produce tea at the earliest, fix the right price for the tea leaves, and close all pesticides manufacturing companies as they have already been banned by the Tea Board of India.
Rahul Chetry said that should the demands not be met promptly, all BJP candidates in Assam would encounter protests from members of the Satra Mukti Sangram Samity across the state.
