The government is now going to bring a tea policy with the aim of promoting tea production in Uttarakhand as well as creating maximum employment opportunities from it. In this, tourism activity in tea gardens is being prominently included.
Along with this, emphasis is being laid on points like giving old gardens to interested farmers for operation, giving three tea factories on PPP mode, taking steps to increase the area of tea gardens. The draft of the policy will be prepared and sent to the government soon. Currently, 1473 hectares of area has been marked for tea cultivation under the Uttarakhand Tea Development Board in 29 development blocks of eight hill districts of the state. Out of this, tea is being cultivated in 1371 hectares. The average production of tea per year is one lakh kilograms. Looking at the possibilities of tea production in the hilly areas, the government is emphasizing on encouraging it. In this sequence, earlier a draft of the tea policy of the state was prepared and sent to the government. Then the government returned it to the Horticulture Department saying that it does not include the subject of tourism activity in tea gardens. Now the officials of Uttarakhand Tea Development Board constituted under the Horticulture Department are busy preparing a draft of the tea policy afresh. According to sources, under tea tourism, special emphasis will be laid on arrangements like cafeteria, trail, tea production unit in tea gardens as well as home stay in the areas adjoining them. Apart from this, points like giving the operation of old tea gardens to farmers for 15 years, giving tea factories of Ghorakhal, Champawat and Kausani in PPP mode, value addition in tea production, branding are also being included.
In the policy, emphasis will be laid on exploring the possibilities of tea cultivation in Tehri, Uttarkashi districts and increasing its area in the eight districts where cultivation is currently taking place.
When contacted in this regard, Horticulture Secretary SN Pandey said that the state’s tea policy is being prepared. After receiving the draft of the policy from the department, it will be finalized.
