Bengal increases land share for non-tea activities in estates
Times of India | 26 February 2025
12 Kolkata/Siliguri: Bengal govt will allow another 15% of unused tea garden land for commercial activities but only to operational gardens that have already successfully utilised 15% of such unused land in non-tea business, CM Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday.
Banerjee made it clear that this would be done on a case-by-case basis, only if workers' wages and PF dues are cleared and the new tea tourism venture recruits 80% locals. The CM repeatedly stressed that these ventures will only be allowed on non-plantation, surplus land in the tea gardens.
Speaking to reporters at Nabanna after a cabinet meeting that approved fresh three-year leases to six tea gardens, Banerjee said: "Lies and falsehoods are being spread on the state's tea tourism policy by people linked to tea workers and some ghost political parties."
There was no norm to give freehold ownership of tea garden land, Banerjee said. "This is always given on lease. The place where tea plantation is done cannot be tampered with in any way."
She added: "There are patches of land in tea gardens where plantation is not done, that too is given on lease. In those (specific) cases, we allowed 15% for tea tourism projects so that hotels, homestays or businesses can be created that employ locals."
"We are not giving anyone 30% at one go. There is also a land ceiling," Banerjee added.
"And if they want another 15%, we can consider it on a case-by-case basis, provided they have cleared their workers' wages and PF dues, they have unutilised and surplus non-plantation land, and only if they agree to employ 80% locals. The CS-headed committee can consider this," the CM said.
No one can purchase tribal land, Banerjee said, adding that "if anyone closes the tea gardens, then the land given for commercial activities will also be taken away."
Banerjee announced this decision during BGBS on Feb 5. The state govt also amended regulations to allow 30% uncultivated land within tea gardens to be used for alternative industries, doubling the previous limit of 15%.
Workers, opposition parties and political fronts in north Bengal have protested the announcement by the CM to increase the land share for non-tea activities in tea estates.
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