Factory officials reject tea leaves in Bidhan Nagar, farmers protest by disposing tea leaves on the road

Siliguri, 03rd April: Tension gripped Bidhan Nagar as farmers were distressed after a factory rejected their tea leaves, resulting in rampant protests. This incident has raised concerns in North Bengal regarding guidelines set by the Tea Board.

According to reports, the incident occurred after factory officials in Bidhan Nagar refused their harvested tea leaves on Wednesday. It is to be noted that the Tea Board has recently issued guidelines that stated that the presence of chemicals in the tea leaves would prompt the revoking of the factory license. On Wednesday, the factory in Bidhan Nagar demanded a certificate from farmers confirming the absence of chemicals in their tea leaves. Without this certificate, the factory refused to accept the tea leaves, leading to the farmers’ protest and disposal of the tea leaves on the road.

Farmers expressed their lack of awareness regarding these guidelines and the uncertainty about how to obtain the required certificate. Meanwhile, factory officials explained that they had received these guidelines recently, causing losses to the factory.

The issue has garnered the attention of GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa who met with the Chief Minister on Tuesday to discuss the prevalent concerns. The Chief Minister assured that appropriate actions would be taken in response to complaints regarding the matter.