Calcutta, Aug. 6 (PTI): The Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has appointed a chartered accountant firm to assess their crop loss in absolute and value terms in view of the indefinite shutdown in the hills.

"We have not been able to submit any proposal to the Tea Board as asked. So we have asked a CA firm to assist in preparing financial data regarding the loss of crop in value and actual terms," DTA chairman Binod Mohan said.

Earlier, when the DTA approached the Tea Board seeking packages for the entire loss of premium second-flush crop because of indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the government agency had asked the association to prepare a draft proposal and submit it.

The deadline for the submission of the draft proposal has expired, However, Mohan said with the CA appointment they would now be in a position to submit it before the board by next week.

Mohan said that the government had done away with any form of subsidies and any assistance would have to be sought under the existing schemes of the Tea Board, which gives subsidies.

Tea Board deputy chairman Santosh Sarangi said that since the resource allocation for the current fiscal was over, any additional assistance would require the commerce ministry's approval.