Tea Board invites EOI for G.P. Goenka tea estate

The Tea Board has invited expression of interest from prospective companies and cooperative societies or persons for the Demdima Tea Estate of the G.P. Goenka group, saying that it plans to host a bidders meeting next week.

The Board also pointed out that any selection will be subject to the final decision of the Calcutta High Court, where the tea estate owner has filed a writ petition against the move to takeover the gardens. The estate is presently administered by group company, Santipara Tea Company.

Just days before the Commerce Ministry issued its notification on the group estates, a tripartite agreement had been signed for the revival of the gardens, Group Chairman G.P. Goenka told

The Hindu . The Tea Board however said that its assessment was that the Demdima Tea Estate was not being managed in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Tea Act, 1953 and the Plantation Labour Act, 1951. “It was being run in a manner highly detrimental to the workers and the industry,” the industry regulator observed.

Wages, gratuity, provident fund and electricity dues had piled up. On January 28 the Union Commerce Ministry authorised the Tea Board to take immediate measures to takeover management control of seven estates of the Duncan Group including Demdima in North Bengal. The initial tenure of the management control would be five years.

The Tea Board said that the new entrepreneur may avail benefits extended by the Tea Board for the company but it will be under the Board’s supervision.

This EOI comes after the January 28 notification by the Union Commerce Ministry which authorised the Tea Board to take steps to take over management or control of seven tea estates of BIFR-listed Duncan Industries Ltd in West Bengal.