How to File RTI for Tea Board India Plantation Grant, Labour Welfare and Export Certification

Tea Board of India is a statutory body established under the Tea Act, 1953, functioning under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005 and is fully bound by all RTI obligations.

Tea Board regulates the entire tea industry in India — from the licensing of tea gardens and bought leaf factories to disbursement of replanting subsidies, administration of labour welfare funds, and promotion of Indian tea exports. Its remit covers the major tea-growing belts: Assam, Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars (West Bengal), the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu), and Munnar and Wayanad (Kerala). Tea garden workers, small tea growers (STGs), bought leaf factory operators, and export-oriented estates all interact directly with Tea Board — and RTI is an important tool for accountability when subsidies are delayed, licences are held up, or welfare funds are not reaching intended beneficiaries.

What Can You Achieve with RTI to Tea Board?

Where to File: Choosing the Right Tea Board Office

Tea Board operates through its Headquarters in Kolkata and Regional Offices in the major tea-producing states. The correct office depends on where the plantation, factory, or grower is located and what type of records you need.

Tea Board HQ, Kolkata holds national-level scheme guidelines, aggregate disbursement data across states, export promotion decisions, and policy-level records. File here for broad policy queries or when the relevant Regional Office has not responded.

Regional Offices hold state-specific records: individual subsidy applications, BLF licence files, inspection reports, STG registration records, and regional labour welfare disbursement data. Filing with the correct Regional Office is faster for plantation-specific queries. The principal regional offices are:

• Assam: Regional Office, Guwahati — for Assam tea gardens and STGs
• West Bengal: Regional Office, Siliguri (and sub-offices at Darjeeling) — for Darjeeling, Terai, and Dooars
• Tamil Nadu: Regional Office, Coonoor — for Nilgiris and Tamil Nadu gardens
• Kerala: Regional Office, Munnar or Kochi — for South Indian tea gardens

Online filing via rtionline.gov.in: Select Ministry of Commerce and Industry and then Tea Board of India. The online portal routes the application to Tea Board's CPIO and is the recommended method for most applicants, since it generates an instant registration number and tracks response timelines automatically.

Physical filing: Address your application to the CPIO at the relevant office. Attach an Indian Postal Order (IPO) for ₹10 or a demand draft as specified by Tea Board. Send by speed post and retain the receipt as proof of filing.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Replanting, Rejuvenation, and Development Subsidies

1. The eligibility criteria, per-hectare subsidy rates, and operational guidelines for the Replanting / Rejuvenation Subsidy scheme for FY 20XX-XX, including any revised rates notified during the year.
2. Whether a subsidy application submitted by Tea Garden / STG Name bearing reference XXXX dated date has been received, processed, and approved or rejected — with the approval date and amount, or the specific ground of rejection citing the relevant scheme clause.
3. Whether a field inspection of the plantation was carried out as part of the subsidy application, and if so, the date of inspection, the name of the inspecting officer, and the findings recorded in the inspection report (a copy may be requested).
4. The total replanting and rejuvenation subsidy disbursed by Tea Board's Regional Office / HQ to tea gardens and small tea growers in State / District during FY 20XX-XX, broken down by category and amount.
5. The number of subsidy applications received, approved, rejected, and pending at the Regional Office for FY 20XX-XX, and the average processing time.

Labour Welfare Fund Utilisation

6. The total funds allocated to Tea Board's Labour Welfare Scheme for tea garden workers in State for FY 20XX-XX, the total disbursed, the number of beneficiaries covered, and the heads of expenditure (housing, medical, education, drinking water, etc.) under which the funds were spent.
7. Whether any unspent funds under the Labour Welfare Scheme for State were surrendered or carried forward at the end of FY 20XX-XX, and if so, the amount and reason.
8. The details of PM-SYM (Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan) enrolment targets assigned to Tea Board for the tea sector in State for FY 20XX-XX, the number of workers enrolled as of date, and any notices issued by Tea Board to non-compliant tea gardens regarding PM-SYM registration.

Bought Leaf Factory Licence and Inspection Records

9. The current status of the Bought Leaf Factory (BLF) licence held by Factory Name, Licence No. XXXX — including the date of issue, date of last renewal, expiry date, and whether renewal is pending.
10. The date of the most recent inspection of Factory Name, Licence No. conducted by Tea Board, the findings recorded in the inspection report, and whether any show-cause notice or suspension / cancellation order has been issued. (A copy of the inspection report may be requested.)
11. The eligibility conditions and documentary requirements for grant or renewal of a BLF licence, as per the Tea (Marketing) Control Order and any amendments in force.

Small Tea Grower Registration and Export Certification

12. The eligibility criteria for registration as a Small Tea Grower (STG) with Tea Board, the process and timeline for registration, and whether the application submitted by Applicant Name / Farm Name at address has been registered, pending, or rejected — with reasons if rejected.
13. The export quality certification or Tea Board certification granted to Estate / Company Name for year, including the grades certified, date of certification, period of validity, and any suspension or cancellation orders issued against that certification.
14. The criteria and standards applied by Tea Board for export quality certification, and the process for appeal if a certification is denied or suspended.

First Appeal and Second Appeal

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If the CPIO of Tea Board does not respond within 30 days, gives an incomplete reply, or denies information without adequate grounds, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at Tea Board (a senior designated officer at the relevant Regional Office or at HQ) within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide within 30 days (extendable to 45 days with reasons in writing).

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the First Appellate Authority does not respond within the prescribed time or the response remains unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days. Tea Board of India is a Central Government statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry — the second appeal authority is the CIC, not any State Information Commission.

The CIC can impose a penalty of up to ₹250 per day (maximum ₹25,000) on the CPIO for unjustified delay or denial, and can direct disclosure of information in the public interest. In cases where subsidies or welfare funds intended for vulnerable tea garden workers are at stake, the CIC has consistently held that transparency in scheme implementation overrides any routine administrative objection to disclosure.