Scrap GO enabling return of TANTEA estates to forest dept: LoP

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palanisvami on Friday urged the government not to destroy the decades old tea plantations of TANTEA in the Nilgiris and Valparai region and return the land to the State Forest Department.

Attempting to draw the attention of the government to the issue during the Zero Hour in the State Assembly, Palaniswami said that the forest department was forcibly removing 40-year-old hard-grown vegetation in the Nilgiris and compelling Tamils repatriated from Sri Lanka decades ago to vacate the dwellings there.

Asking the government to scrap GO no II7 of October 3, 2022 enabling the return of the land to the forest department, the LoP said that the authorities in the hill town have put the eviction on hold owing to protest by the TANTEA workers and local AIADMK men.

Intervening during the debate, State Tourism Minister Ramachandran, who belongs to the Nilgiris, said that there was acute shortage of workers for TANTEA and over 2,000 acres of estates were returned to the forest department in the previous AIADMK regime.

Rushing to the defence of his cabinet colleague, state forest minister Mathiventhan said that there were 13,000 workers and 1,100 officials in TANTEA and the numbers have dwindled after the educationally empowered of the erstwhile workers took up other jobs.

ADMK regime returned 1,907 hectares of TANTEA estates to Forest Dept:

Pointing out that during the 10 year AIADMK regime, about 1,907 hectares of such TANTEA estates were altogether handed over to forest department on four different instances through four different GOs, including the February 2012 GO that enabled the return of 1,338 hectares of land to the forest department, Mathiventhan said that only 599.2 hectares was returned during the incumbent regime.

Informing that the incumbent government was doing a lot to promote TANTEA under special area development scheme, the forest minister claimed credit for the government settling Rs 29.38 crore arrears under various heads to the retired TANTEA workers.

The minister also added that the government has commissioned Ernst and Young to do a business analytical survey and it was in the final stages.