Udhagamandalam: The Tea Board (South) has issued show cause notices to buyers for
allegedly violating norms set for them by the Board. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Executive Director,Tea Board (South) Dr. M.Balaji pointed out that concerted efforts,are being made by the Board to ensure  higher price
realization for the made tea in the market and  remunerative prices for the green leaf supplied to the factories by the  small farmers/ growers.  As part of this,a number of schemes are being implemented for the big and small tea growers for the activities like Replantation, Rejuvenation Pruning and manufacture of Orthodox and Green tea, Monthly advisories are also being issued to the small tea growers,on
proper adoption of standard farming practices and plucking  methods.

Periodical inspections at various tea factories across Southern Zone including estate factories are being undertaken to monitor the compliance of quality, hygiene standards, maintenance of statutory documents etc.

In addition, the activities of tea buyers licensed by the Tea Board under para 4(4) of the Tea Marketing Control Order 2003  are also
being monitored by the  Board regularly.

Of late,it had been noticed that some of the buyers are not submitting the quarterly  returns to the Tea Board in Form F recording the details of teas purchased   which is mandatory as per para  7(3) of the Tea (Marketing) Control (Amendment) Order 2017 which specifies that every registered buyer shall furnish to the Registering Authority
a quarterly return in Form F and further  Non-submission of this quarterly return to the  Tea Board is a violation as per para 6(1)(c)-
violation of any of the provisions of the Act or this Order and 6(1)(d)- failure to carry out any direction of Registering Authority.
Hence, notices have been issued to 46 tea Buyers seeking their response, Dr.Balaji said.

The buyers  have been given statutory time to reply to the notice and action would be taken after receipt of their reply as per the provisions laid out in the Tea (Marketing) Control Orders as mentioned above.