THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is aiming to strengthen the plantation sector to protect labourers through the new plantation policy, said T P Ramakrishnan, Minister for Labour and Excise. The cabinet gave its nod for the Plantation Policy on Thursday to reopen plantations which have been remaining shut for long.
“The new policy also envisages restoring the lost glory of the plantation sector, improving living conditions of labourers by providing good remuneration and other facilities, increasing productivity of plantation crops, diversification, procurement of produces, processing, marketing, manufacturing of value-added products, and ensuring market for the crops. The new policy will also address issues in allied sectors,” he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
The policy was drafted taking note of the recommendations of retired judge N Krishnan Nair Commission appointed to study problems faced by the sector, particularly tea, rubber, cardamom and coffee. To address the issues in the sector, the government had already scrapped the plantation tax apart from freezing collection of agriculture income tax from the sector.
The seigniorage charge of Rs 2,500 levied on each rubber tree during its sale was also waived. The labour settlements in plantation sector have been exempted from the purview of building tax The government will also formulate a special action plan to make the plantations it controls profitable.