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The tea estates in the North Eastern region in India are located in industrially backward areas. Tea being the only organised industry in the private sector in this region, people outside the tea estates have high expectations from the industry. To meet these expectations, ITA and its Branches continue to undertake many projects for the people living in areas surrounding the tea estates. Such projects include financial assistance in building or extension of school and colleges, construction of Sports Stadiums and Cultural Complexes etc.
The Dooars Branch ITA (DBITA)undertook a project with the sponsership of UNICEF/UNFPA, known as the Integrated Parasite Control and Family Welfare Project, with the aim of improving the health standard of the workers and their children, creating awareness on Family Welfare and providing support services for these. Even though the 5-year Project has ended, DBITA is continuing with the project with its own resources and some help from the Tea Board of India. The Dooars Branch has initiated a novel concept among tea garden workers in the form of Mother's Club. This involves a process of empowerment of women and along with it, a better tomorrow for the workers in general. A Mother Club comprises around 20 enlightened women workers who are given specialised training in health and hygiene, mother and child care, and immunisation. These mother clubs have become the vehicle today for spreading the message of better health and living standards amongst the workers and their families. The concept of Mother Club is now being extended to other areas, particularly in Assam. In Assam some of the corporates and the industry as a whole, under the umbrella of the Assam Branch ITA (ABITA) have undertaken a number of Agricultural Projects at different locations to provide help and support to local farmers to go in to multi cropping and yield improvement. The problem of low agricultural productivity in Assam needs to be urgently addressed. Though its soil is rich and water resources are abundant, productivity level of Assam's agriculture is handicapped by out-moded agri-practices and its farmers remain trapped in the vicious cycle of low yields-low supplies and low investments in the field. Many experts have pointed out that the North Eastern region as a whole and Assam, in particular, has tremendous potential for growth in agriculture and allied sectors. What is needed is for the farmers to be aware of the benefit of modern methods of multi-cropping, use of high yielding varieties of seeds and along with it the use of pesticides, fertilizers etc. Some of the major companies on their own and Assam Branch of ITA , on behalf of all its member companies, stepped in to provide a support service through their agriculture projects at various locations in Assam - the services include supply of high yielding varieties of seedling at free or concessional prices along with fertilizer and pesticides, and technical and advisory through professionals. Whenever these projects have been undertaken, there has been remarkable improvement in the yield of the traditional cash crops. The farmers have also been taught to go into other crops during the lean seasons. The beneficiaries have today much higher level of income which is changing their lifestyle and mind set. This is expected to have a ripple effect among Assam's farming community eventually motivating them to take to modern agrarian practices. The tea companies and the Assam Branch of ITA are contributing to a silent green revolution which when it catches on, is sure to benefit the economy of Assam as a whole. With the aim of institutionalising the whole process, the ITA has now formed a society, Gramin Krishi Unnayan Parishad at its Assam Branch(ABITA) level for development of agriculture in Assam. The Parishad has plans to set up 10( Ten) agricultural extension centres all over the the Brahmaputra valley with specialised personnel to provide agricultural services to select villages. |
