The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) has urged the central government to sanction additional funds to commodity boards so that the dues under various schemes can be disbursed to plantations immediately.
AL.RM. Nagappan, president of UPASI, said in a press statement that a substantial amount was outstanding to growers towards approved schemes of the commodity boards.
In tea alone, ₹55 crore is pending for the sector in south India. For some schemes, the amount to be disbursed has been pending since 2015-2016. The government curtailed the allocations to commodity boards year after year, and the additional allocation made in the Budget this year is not adequate to clear the arrears. Plantations are going through a stressful period due to challenges because of climate change and as the plantation commodities do not get remunerative prices. A majority of the estates incur huge losses and are struggling to carry out daily operations, it is learnt. He said the sector was looking forward to the government’s intervention.
The Cenre should allocate adequate amounts to the plantation commodity boards in order to clear the arrears for south Indian plantations. “This would go a long way in helping growers in south India tide over the financial crisis to some extent,” he said.
