Small tea growers, who are on a protest in the Nilgiris since September 1, have decided to continue with the protests till their demands are met.

 

The Naaku Betta Badagar Welfare Association, which called for the continuous hunger strike in the respective panchayats and villages, has decided to continue with the protests as there is no favourable response from the governments, said K. Manivannan, secretary of the Association.

 

 

The Association representatives held discussions in Coonoor on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, with the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Amardeep Singh Bhatia, and Executive Director of Tea Board India M. Muthukumar.

 

“We explained all our demands to the Additional Secretary. We want the Tea Act Section 30 A to be extended to brokers and buyers too so that the growers get realistic prices. We do not get good prices during the peak season of June to November. About 1.5 lakh acres are under tea cultivation in 360 Badaga villages in the Nilgiris. Though the officials said they will consider our demands they did not give any specific time frame to resolve the issue. Hence, we have decided to continue the protests,” he said.