Alipurduar, Sept. 8 -- The Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers' Association has opposed any blanket winter "lean period" and urged the Tea Board of India to allow green-leaf plucking until December 31, 2026, depending on weather conditions and leaf quality.

The association warned that an early restriction could push around 25,000 small tea growers in Jalpaiguri into financial distress.

In 2024, the Tea Board had fixed November 30 as the final date for green-leaf plucking and acceptance by tea factories. The association claimed the decision deprived growers of income in the following months and caused substantial losses.

Association president Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty said: "If an early blanket closure is imposed, as in 2024, a large section of small tea growers could once again face financial difficulties. The decision should be based on actual weather conditions, availability of leaves and their quality."

The Tea Board has convened an emergency consultation meeting in Siliguri on September 10 to discuss factory closure guidelines. Growers said they would raise their concerns at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the state Labour Department's Additional Labour Commissioner for North Bengal has issued an advisory recommending a 20 per cent Puja bonus for tea garden workers across North Bengal. Managements have been advised to clear the dues by October 5.

The announcement has brought relief to tea workers and their families ahead of Durga Puja. Workers said the bonus would help them buy clothes, arrange better food for their families and carry out long-pending repairs to their homes.

A tea worker said: "Every year, there was anxiety over whether we would have to launch an agitation for the Puja bonus. This year, that worry has largely disappeared. We are happy that the bonus was announced before any agitation began."

Alipurduar MP and BTWU chairman Manoj Tigga welcomed the announcement. "We do not want any unrest in North Bengal's tea industry over the bonus. That is why the rate has been announced in advance. Workers are happy with the state government's announcement. I thank the government for bringing smiles to the faces of tea workers before Puja," he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.