Kolkata, Mar 17 (PTI) The Darjeeling Tea Association has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking her urgent intervention to address an acute industrial LPG crisis that threatens to shut down tea estate operations across the Darjeeling hills.
In a letter dated March 17, the association warned that tea estate factories in Darjeeling are facing a severe LPG shortage that could halt operations at tea gardens employing 55,000 workers and their families.
The crisis stems from a Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas order dated March 5 directing all public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) to supply LPG solely to domestic consumers and those on the priority list.
The Darjeeling Tea Industry, being entirely dependent on industrial LPG, finds itself excluded from the priority list, it said.
“The Darjeeling Tea Industry, after a prolonged three-month gap, has just started producing its 1st flush tea, which is exported and is of premium quality and generates revenue. If the LPG shortage is not mitigated urgently, it will be catastrophic for the industry,” the letter stated.
The association said that when it approached HPCL, which supplies LPG to a majority of tea estates, HPCL stated that the decision on LPG supply to tea estates lies with the Department of Food and Civil Supplies of the West Bengal government, since the industry is not on the priority list.
The letter was also marked to the Minister in Charge of the Department of Food and Supplies, the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of the Department of Food and Supplies. PTI BSM RG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.