Sen in Calcutta on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta, May 5: The government is planning a Rs 60-crore package for closed tea gardens in Bengal, Assam and Orissa.

“The package includes waiver of all dues to the Tea Board and penalties for provident fund defaults,” said A.K. Kothari, president of the Tea Association of India.

The proposal will have to be cleared by the cabinet committee on economic affairs.

“It also includes financial restructuring of bank loans, conversion of debts into medium-term loans, writing off of penalties and an interest rate subsidy for five years on fresh loans,” he added.

Bengal is also trying to provide relief to the 17 closed or abandoned tea gardens in the state.

“Priority is on reopening these gardens. Relief provided by the state government is not a substitute. There are garden owners and investors willing to take over these gardens. The state is trying to figure out how debts can be reduced for new investors,” said Bengal industry minister Nirupam Sen.

In the last week of March, the Bengal chief secretary had a meeting with stakeholders in the gardens to find a way so that the new investors can take over the gardens profitably.

Bengal has also declared below-poverty-line status for tea workers and is trying to include them in the food-for- work programme.

To share the costs of education, health, and hygiene of tea workers, the state is planning to extend the rural development programmes of the Panchayat system to the gardens.

“We have asked for permission from garden owners to introduce social development activities of the Panchayat within the gardens,” Sen said.