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| Workers at a tea garden in Assam. File picture |
Guwahati, May 23 : The rise in the prices of green leaf in Assam has brought in its wake increased cases of green leaf theft, forcing tea estate managements to adopt special security measures to guard their crop.
“Green leaf theft is the biggest problem the gardens are facing at present and there seems to be no respite unless we adopt special security measures,” said the manager of a tea estate in the worst affected Doomdooma area in Upper Assam.
A shortage of production has led to an increased demand for green leaf this year and, consequently, pushed up the prices, which touched Rs 24 per kg in some areas.
Green leaf prices had never gone up above Rs 18 per kg earlier.
The unprecedented rise in the price of green leaf has triggered a spurt in the theft of green leaf across gardens in Upper Assam.
Gangs of thieves have also attacked the chowkidars of Halfjan and Samdang tea estates in Tinsukia district in the last few days.
Industry sources said the thieves have not spared the small tea growers this year either.
The president of the Assam Small Tea Growers Association, Cheniram Khonikar, said he was spending sleepless nights guarding his estate at Tinkhong, following reports of hordes of thieves moving around in the area.
“Thieves have already attacked several gardens in the area in the last few days. I do not want to take any chances,” Khonikar said.
He blamed the government for not taking any measures to introduce a law to control the purchase of green leaf by the factories, which would check the thefts.
A manager of a tea estate at Lakwa in Sivasagar district said the management had set up a special force comprising garden labourers to guard each and every section of the garden at night.
“These thieves come in large numbers, sometimes more than 100 in number, so a special force is needed to keep them away,” he said, adding that a lone chowkidar is simply helpless.
He added that the district administration has been asked to provide an armed guard to help the force. “We are ready to pay,” he added.
An official of the Assam Tea Planters’ Association (ATPA) said the government has been apprised of the increase in green tea leaf theft in recent times.
“It can turn into a major law and order problem if immediate steps are not taken,” the official said.
He added that losses would run into lakhs, as the thieves destroy large tracts, which become unsuitable for plucking.
“The loss is huge, going by the fact that this is the second flush season when we produce the best quality tea,” an official said.
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