Jiri Tea Estate to be given fresh lease of life

Imphal, Febuary 01: As part of the SPF Government's endeavor to review sick units necessary funds would be allocated to revive the Jiribam Tea Estate, said Minister of State (Agriculture) K Ranjit. In an exclusive chat with The Sangai Express the Minister exuded confidence that with the required funding the Estate will not only be revived but its productivity can be increased considerably. During the President Rule Government the tea estate along with other unprofitable corporations were ordered for closure. Citing poor financial conditions and lack of initiatives by previous Governments, Ranjit said with the reinstatement of the popular Ministry efforts are on to review the closure decision of some corporations to earn State income. It may be pertinent to mention that the once profit earning tea estate covers around 425 hectares and run by Manipur Plantation Crops Corporation Limited. During its initial period of establishment, green tea leave production from the Jirighat Tea Estate reached an encouraging 2945 kilograms annually with selling price fixed at Rs 7 per kg. Besides certification of the Tea Board on the quality of the green leaves M/s Jirighat Native Tea Company is yet to clear Rs 21.18 lakhs for purchase made from the unit. As functioning of the unit lapsed the Rs 2.12 crore tea processing factory at the unit is lying idle and rusting by the day, the Minister lamented. Inability to pay wages to the laborers engaged in plucking tea leave and regular employees are having drastic affect on the cultivated plants as it has grown to an alarming 3 metres. Acknowledging the plight of the workers and necessity to clear the pending wages, Ranjit said experts should be roped in to maintain the plucking level of three feet at the most. Loan amount to the tune of lakhs of rupees acquired from the Tea Board for the factory construction also remains uncleared, he disclosed. The Minister also expressed hope that experts would come forward with suggestions to enhance agricultural activities and productivity so that the State can advance considerably in the field. He also pledged to make functional the Soil Testing Laboratory located at Mantripukhri and to preserve the Lamphelpat Mechanized Farm lands from the clutches of encroachers at the site. On contributions made to aid farmers in facilitating agriculture based activities, the Minister said since assuming office 50 water pump sets have been provided to farmers of various kendras. As part of the Exchange Farmers' Programme 76 State farmers have been sent at Bangalore, Goa, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to equip them with the latest technology and farming methods available. Efforts also underway to extend similar programmes on a mass basis at district level, he added.