An association of tea planters in the plains of north Bengal has alleged that the Tea Board of India is depriving the industry in Bengal of funds and most of the allocations are for the BJP-ruled Assam.

The Terai Indian Planters’ Association also wondered if local BJP MPs were doing enough for the industry’s revival in north Bengal. The association represents a number of tea estates in the Terai in the Siliguri subdivision and the neighbouring Islampur subdivision of North Dinajpur district.

This is the first time in recent history that an industry association has gone after a central body and elected representatives of the party in power in Delhi.

“The tea industry in north Bengal has been in crisis since 2015 because of a number of reasons, ranging from stagnancy in prices to rise in overhead costs. The problem has further deepened because of step-motherly treatment of the Tea Board. It has curtailed allotment of funds for the industry under various heads for Bengal and most of the allocations are for Assam. After 2015, the board has held back subsidies for tea plantations in Bengal,” Mahendra Bansal, the president of the association, said here on Saturday.

As of now, the total due subsidy of the north Bengal tea industry is around Rs 250 crore, he added.

Tea Board chairman Arun Kumar Ray couldn’t be contacted for his reaction to the allegation.

The discontent of the tea industry association, made public today, must be music to the ears of the ruling Trinamul as the party has been holding the Centre responsible for all the problems afflicting the tea industry.

“The Centre’s decision to impose TDS (tax deducted at source) at the rate of two per cent on annual cash drawings over Rs 1 crore has affected the industry badly at a time earnings have dipped,” said a member.

The tea sector had made several submissions saying workers were being paid wages and bonus in cash because of lack of banking infrastructure in tea gardens. But the industry has not been given relief.

S. Mittal, an executive member of the Terai planters’ association, has pointed finger at BJP MPs in north Bengal.

“The Parliament constituencies which cover the north Bengal tea belt have MPs from the party that is in the power at the Centre. It seems they haven’t flagged our issues before appropriate platforms of the central government. Perhaps they have done their duty. But the result is not visible as of now,” said Mittal.

Seven of the eight Lok Sabha members in north Bengal belong to the BJP.

The association, however, expressed satisfaction over the Bengal government’s announcement of a housing scheme for tea estate workers, waiver of agricultural income tax on the crop and permission to use more land in gardens for tourism and other revenue-generating activities.

Told about the association’s criticism of the north BJP MPs, the party’s Jalpaiguri MP, Jayanta Roy, said: “We have taken up issues related to the tea industry with different ministries and officials. But it would take time to resolve the problems.”

Alipurduar BJP MP John Barla said he had already spoken to officials of the Tea Board about the steps needed for improvement of the industry in north Bengal.

“I will also sit with tea planters to know their grievances and then meet Union ministers concerned. I am from a tea estate and understand the problems of planters and workers. It would be wrong to perceive that we MPs are sitting idle,” Barla said over the phone.