Tea production down 7.21%, exports up marginally in April
Kolkata, June 12: India's estimated tea production fell by 7.21 per cent to 85.74 million kg in April 2018 from 92.41 million kg produced in the year-ago month, according to data from the Tea Board of India.
According to provisional data from the Board, in April, tea exports were up marginally to 14.5 million kg as against 14.33 million kg exported in the year-ago month and in value terms, the month was stagnant at Rs 277.6 crore as compared to Rs 277.71 crore in April 2017.
Estimated production data suggested the fall in absolute term during April was due to drop in the crop production both in north (which also covers the east and northeast India) and south India.
In north India, Assam's production for the month was marginally up to 45.65 million kg as compared to 44.24 million kg produced in the corresponding month of 2017 while West Bengal's production for the month stood at 15.73 million kg, down by nearly 20 per cent from 19.6 million kg produced in the same month of 2017.
Taking Assam, West Bengal and others together, the estimated crop during the month under review in north India decreased by nearly four per cent to 63.28 million kg as against 65.86 million kg produced in April 2017.
In south India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, the tea production was at 22.46 million kg in April 2018 as against 26.55 million kg produced in same month last year.
Small growers produced 38.04 million kg in April as against 43 million kg produced by them in the year-ago month.
Moreover, India's tea exports grew by about 6.5 per cent to 79.72 million kg during the January-April period of 2018 as compared to 74.89 million kg exported in the corresponding period last year.
In value terms, tea exports for the first four months of the current calendar year, stood at Rs 1,524.92 crore, up by about 5.3 per cent from Rs 1,447.74 crore in the year-ago period.
In volume, tea exports to CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others, were at 20.46 million kg in the January-April period of 2018, down from 22.28 million kg in the same period of last year.
Exports to Britain also fell to 3.03 million kg in the period under review, as against 3.73 million kg in the year-ago period while exports at 2.95 million kg to Germany during the period were also down from 3.3 million kg exported in the corresponding months of 2017.
However, tea exports to Iran went up to 8.94 million kg in the period under review, from 7.18 million kg in the year-ago period.
As much as 4.89 million kg of tea was shipped out to Egypt during the first four months of current year, up from 2.94 million kg in the year-ago period.
Tea exports to Pakistan stood at 5.03 million kg in the period, as against 3.31 million kg exported in the corresponding months of 2017.
India's tea exports to China during the period were up at 3.04 million kg.
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Allu Arjun didn't leave theatre despite being told about woman's death: Hyderabad police
Hyderabad, Dec 22: Top Telugu actor Allu Arjun did not leave the theatre during the screening of 'Pushpa-2' on December 4 despite being told to do so in view of a stampede in which a woman died, police officials claimed on on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference on the annual round-up of 2024, city police commissioner C V Anand showed a video, made by police, on the situation that prevailed when the stampede occurred.
The video was made by collating footage, including from news channels and cell phone clips. It suggests the actor remained in the theatre till the midnight.
Anand did not make any comment on the video, but said the media can draw its own conclusions.
A police official talked about the sequence of events on the fateful night of December 4.
He said that he and other police officials informed a manager of Allu Arjun about the death of the woman and told him that the situation was out of control. He indicated that they were not allowed to meet the actor.
Allu Arjun's staff members told them that they would convey the matter to the actor but did not do so, he said.
The official said he later managed to reach the actor, told him about the woman's death and asked him to leave the theatre so that the fans don't harm each other while trying to catch a glimpse of him.
The official also told the actor that security arrangements would be made for his exit.
However, the actor said he would go only after watching the film, the police official said.
Later, accompanied by a senior officer, the official went inside and brought the actor out, he said.
Amid allegations that bouncers hired by Allu Arjun pushed crowds as well as policemen when the stampede occurred at the cinema hall, the police commissioner warned that stringent action as per law would be taken if THE bouncers indeed misbehaved with the police on duty.
The VIPs would be made responsible for the behaviour of the bouncers hired by them, he said.
Asked if the police would appeal against the interim bail granted to Allu Arjun, the commissioner refused to give a direct response, just saying it is part of the investigation.
What course of action is taken would be known in the days to come, he said.
He also declined to comment when asked if the family of the deceased told him about Allu Arjun's team or film production team allegedly threatening them not to speak on the issue.
Meanwhile, state Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy found fault with Allu Arjun responding on Saturday to the debate in the Legislative Assembly.
The minister, who observed that the actor should have respect for the government and the chief minister, demanded an apology from Allu Arjun to the government and the CM.
"This government is never vindictive. As Cinematography Minister, we allowed benefit shows and hiking ticket prices to promote the film industry," he said.
However, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar found fault with CM Revanth Reddy for his comments on Allu Arjun in the Assembly on Saturday.
The comments of the CM sounded like character assassination of Allu Arjun and hurting the Telugu film industry, he alleged in a statement.
Later in the day, Sanjay Kumar visited a boy who is undergoing treatment in a hospital after being injured in the stampede.
"Consoled his father over the heartbreaking loss of his wife, Revathi. I pray to god that Sritej recovers at the earliest. Assured support to the family in this difficult time," Kumar said on X.
Earlier in the day, state DGP Jitender told reporters in Karimnagar district that film personalities and all others should understand that safety and security of citizens is utmost important, and also conduct themselves accordingly.
