Welcome to Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha

The need for a forum in which common problems of Tea Planters could be discussed ultimately resulted in the formation of the CCPA. In 1956, the Consultative Committee of Tea Producers' Association was formed; the members being the Indian Tea Association, United Planters' Association of Southern India, Indian Tea Planters' Association, Assam Planters' Association, Bharatiya Cha Parishad, Surma Valley Indian Tea Planters' Association, Terai Indian Planters' Association and the Tripura Tea Association. The Consultative Committee's guiding principles were ''to discuss matters of common interest and to endeavour to arrive at uniform and unanimous views on questions of policy, while still leaving to individual Associations, complete freedom of action and being satisfied, where unanimity was unattainable with an agreement to differ.'' Since its first meeting on August 9, 1956, the Consultative Committee has come close to completing 43 productive and satisfying years of existence.

The Consultative Committee has spoken authoritatively and in one voice on matters of tea production, taxation, labour welfare, tea promotion, exports, housing and has responded widely on behalf of the industry to inquiries from statutory and semi- statutory bodies. The Consultative Committee has functioned with distinction in that it has been able to lend to its representations a nonpartisan quality which comes from a balanced perception of the ''greatest good for the greatest number.'' This has been well appreciated by the Union government which has not hesitated to consult it prior to arriving at major policy decisions concerning the plantation industry.

In 1964, the constituent Associations felt that the scope of the Consultative Committee of Tea Producers Associations should be enlarged to cover other plantation crops: coffee, rubber and cardamom. The name of the organisation was consequently changed to Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations. The Consultative Committee represents all the plantation regions of the country and has fostered a unique participative approach without the trappings of a formal constitution. Issues of general interest have been successfully resolved through consensus rather than by the power of the ballot.