The Tea Board of India has decided to extend financial help in the form of subsidies to self-help groups (SHG) of small growers to encourage the formation of these clusters. The highest ceiling of such assistance has been fixed at Rs 5 lakh for each SHG, which must have at least 50 growers as members. The total area of plantation should not be less than 50 acres, or 20 hectares. "Considering the emergence of the small tea sector, we decided to help the groups rather than individual growers and promote the development of such clusters,' said G. Boriah, director (tea development) of the Tea Board, over the phone from Calcutta. "Groups that meet a few conditions laid down by us are eligible to apply for the subsidies.' At present, there are 2.60 lakh small growers across the country of which 15,000 are from north Bengal districts where 41 such SHGs have been formed so far. According to the Tea Board's scheme, 100 per cent subsidy (see chart) will be available for a corpus fund meant for fertilisers, pesticides and sprayers. The highest limit for this fund will be Rs 10,000 per hectare for each year. The limit for the construction of a storage or godown would be Rs 50,000. Construction of leaf collection sheds and purchase of leaf weighing scales, plastic crates or nylon bags for carrying leaf and pruning machine would be met from this fund too. The board will pay 50 per cent subsidy for the purchase of vehicles like trucks, tractors and trailers necessary for carrying tealeaves from fields to factories and raw material to fields. "The subsidy for godown, leaf collection sheds and leaf weighing scales are one time grants,' Tea Board sources said. "It is an attempt to provide the growers with the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the selling of tealeaves.' For leaf collection sheds, weighing scales and pruning machine, the highest subsidies would be Rs 30,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 35,000 respectively. Each SHG has to open a bank account jointly with the Tea Board to avail of the subsidies. Small tea growers of north Bengal appeared happy with the grants, but said some amendments to conditions laid down by the board were necessary. "Unlike south India, the size of individual holdings is higher in north Bengal,' Bijoygopal Chakraborty, vice-president of the United Forum of Small Tea Growers Associations, said today. "We have no problem with the minimum aggregate area of 50 acres, but the number of members should be reduced to 30 from 50 for a group.'