The department of land and land reforms of the West Bengal government has introduced new guidelines aimed at reopening closed tea gardens through short term settlement (STS) grants.

The notification, issued on 6 November 2024, details the standard operating procedures (SOPs) intended to revive these gardens and provide essential support to affected workers and communities.

According to official sources, this initiative seeks to boost employment and rejuvenate the tea industry, highlighting the state’s commitment to sustaining this key sector and improving the livelihoods of tea garden workers across West Bengal.

While the Tea Association of India (TAI) welcomed the move, it also called for a more thorough examination to assess its long-term effectiveness.

The TAI secretary general Prabir K Bhattacharjee commented, “Through this notification, the state government has made an effort to address the issue of garden closures with the aim of maintaining operations. It is indeed a progressive step that considers the livelihoods of workers. However, a comprehensive examination is needed to evaluate its long-term efficacy. It is also crucial that closures due to industrial relations issues do not fall within this notification’s scope.”

The recent notification, published in the Kolkata Gazette, outlines policies specific to several tea gardens in north Bengal that have either ceased operations or are facing potential closure due to factors such as management challenges.

According to Mr Bhattacharjee, the notification pertains to gardens where leases have expired without renewal or where operators have kept gardens closed for more than three months. It also applies to gardens managed under “Bi-partite Agreements” between registered tea garden workers and relevant companies or individuals.

The notification proposes forming a panel of eligible companies or individuals, prepared by the labour department, who can operate these gardens. The gardens would be allocated through a bidding process, and successful bidders would receive short-term settlements with provisions for two renewals. Should these entities satisfactorily manage the gardens for three years, the state government would consider granting a 30-year long-term lease, subject to the payment of applicable fees (Salami).