The tea industry in north Bengal said announcements in the Union budget would help workers at large but rued that the cess on petroleum products would push up the manufacturing cost.

“It is good the central government has floated a new scheme to improve health infrastructure across the country as we believe it would provide medical succour to the tea garden population also,” said Prabir Bhattacharjee, secretary general, Tea Association of India.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced Rs 1,000 crore for the tea population, especially women and children, in Bengal and Assam.

A tea planter in Siliguri said Agricultural Infrastructure & Development Cess on petro fuels would add to the production cost.