Small tea growers in the state have sought the inclusion of the Centre's insurance scheme for plantation crops in the 100-day action programme charted out by the state government. They said the move would not only send a positive signal to the small growers here but also provide them relief from the vagaries of climatic variations and price fluctuations. Chairman of the advisory committee for small tea growers, Bidyananda Barkakoty, said recently they had a meeting with finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and industries minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on the Centre's Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops (RISPC). Barkakoty said the funding would be shared by the Centre, state government and the growers in the ratio of 75:15:10 under the scheme. "As the scheme is already in place, the state government has to roll it out for the small tea growers. We have explained the scheme in details to the finance and industries ministers. Sarma has assured us that the finance department will look into the scheme," Barkakoty, who is also the vice-chairman of the tea board, said. He said as the funding was on a shared basis, the primary task of the state government was to roll out the scheme. In a pre-budget memorandum to the finance minister, Barkakoty said the government could start rolling out the scheme by including it in its 100-day action programme. The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) has been demanding an insurance cover for small tea growers to guard them from production-related risks and price volatility. NETA's argument is that as the price small tea growers obtain for the green leaves is dependent on the price of the finished product from the tea factories, an insurance scheme for them has become imperative to cover production-related risks and price volatility. "I was pursuing the Centre to help small tea growers avail an insurance cover. The commerce ministry has recently informed me that RISPC is in place. The scheme has been devised to protect farmers of plantation crops. Small tea growers are also covered under the scheme. Now, the state government only needs to roll it out," Barkakoty added. Source - timesofindia.indiatimes.com