Tough time for tea growers in 3 districts

Three prominent tea growers' bodies have sought power minister Pradyut Bordoloi's intervention over the halt in tea production in five districts of Assam.
The production came to a halt on Thursday in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat following non-supply of gas by the Assam Gas Co Ltd to the tea estates. Most tea factories in the five districts, which also account for about 45 percent of the total tea factories of Assam, run their Dryers and Weathering Troughs on gas supplied by AGCL.
The gas supply has been disrupted due to a 72-hour blockade by Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) demanding a Rs.100 crore package from the company for the development of tea community and 30 percent reservation for posts of grade IV employees for local youths in the firm.