Guwahati, March 2: The North East Confederation of Small Tea Growers Association (NECSTHA) has urged the Tea Board of India to simplify the fund disbursement process under the Development and Promotion Scheme introduced for 2023-24 and 2025-26.

In a memorandum submitted to the Tea Board, NECSTGA president Diganta Phukan and secretary general Binod Buragohain expressed gratitude for the initiative. Still, they highlighted a major roadblock—complicated fund allocation procedures. According to the current guidelines, tea growers must purchase required items with their own money and then submit bills for reimbursement. However, many small tea growers lack sufficient funds to make upfront purchases, effectively shutting them out of the scheme’s benefits.

NECSTGA suggested adopting a model similar to Assam’s CESS utilization policy, where funds are transferred directly to dealers or suppliers on behalf of small growers’ organizations (SHGs, FPOs, and FPCs).

The association also urged the Tea Board to extend its focus beyond Assam and actively promote small tea garden development in other Northeastern states. While Assam’s small tea growers (STGs) are aware of the schemes, many in other Northeastern states remain uninformed and unable to access these benefits. NECSTGA called for more outreach programs to bridge this gap.

Another critical issue raised was the difficulty faced by small tea growers in Nagaland in obtaining QR cards due to land ownership complexities. Unlike other states, Nagaland does not have an official land authority, with land documentation controlled by village councils. NECSTGA demanded that the Tea Board accept village council-issued land documents for QR card approval, ensuring that small tea growers in Nagaland can also benefit from government schemes.

Additionally, the association pointed out a major communication barrier affecting the industry—many Tea Board officials are from South India and are unfamiliar with local languages, making it difficult to provide training and support to small tea growers. NECSTGA urged a review of the existing transfer policy to ensure that officials with local language proficiency are appointed to Northeastern states for smoother knowledge exchange and skill development.

The association also raised concerns about the panic triggered by the recent implementation of the Tea Board’s transfer policy, which has unsettled the tea industry, particularly small growers. They called for an urgent review of the policy to safeguard the interests of the small tea-growing community.

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