INTRODUCTION
TEXT OF THE TEA WASTE (CONTROL) ORDER, 1959
Tea Waste Control Order is designed to control import of Tea waste, defined as tea sweepings, tea fluff, tea fibre and tea stalks. Green tea or Green tea stalks are not covered under Tea waste. By notification issued on 2nd December 1998, the Tea Waste (Control) Order, 1959 issued under the Tea Act, 1959 was extended to imports in the text of the Order giving below, the 1998 amendment is given by italics, Under this, import of tea must be in accordance with a licence issued by the Tea Board, Calcutta. All sales, purchase, storage, export and import activities of can be carried out only against a licence.
Application for the licence had to be made under Form "A". The licence, as such, is issued under Form "B". The licensee is required to inform the excise department as well as the Tea Board on each movements of the Tea Waste. The renewal of the licence is under Form "C" issued under the Tea Waste Control Order. Form "D" is the seizure memo for stocks seized in violation of the Order.
B. TEXT OF THE TEA WASTE (CONTROL) ORDER, 1959
1. Short title and commencement.
2. Definitions
3. Persons exporting, selling, purchasing storing tea waste to
obtain licences.
4. Manner of disposal of tea waste.
5. Application for licence.
6. Grant of refusal of licence.
6A. Amendment of licence.
7. Period of validity of licence.
8. Renewal of licence.
8A. Secretary to sign licences.
9. Restriction on transfer of licence.
10. Power to cancel or suspend licences.
11. Disposal of stocks where licence is not renewed or is cancelled.
12. Appeal.
13. Restriction on possession of stocks.
14. Taking of samples.
15. Maintenance of records.
16. Power to enter, search and size.
17. Checking of accounts.
18. Fees for a licence.
19. Mode of service of an order or direction.
19A. False declaration of tea waste as tea to be deemed as
contravention of this order.
In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-Sections (3) and (5) of Section 30 of the Tea Act, hereby makes the following Order, namely :-
(1) This order may be called the Tea Waste (Control) Order, 1959.
(2) It shall come into force at once.
In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires.
(a) "Act" means the Tea Act, 1953 (29 of 1953)
(aa) "instant tea" means a water - soluble tea powder derived by dehydration of aqueous extract of tea ;
(b) "Licence" means licence granted under this Order;
(c) "Licensee" means any person holding a licence;
(d) " Licensing authority" means the Chairman or any other Officer of the Board specified in this behalf by the Central Government;
(e) "Offer for sale" includes an intimation by a person of a proposal by him for the sale of any tea waste made by the publication of a price-list or by exposing the tea waste for sale or by communication of the price thereof by furnishing a quotation or otherwise howsoever; and
(f) "tea waste" means tea sweepings, tea fluff, tea fibre or tea stalks or any article purporting to be tea which does not conform to the specification for tea laid down under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. 1954 (37 of 1954 ) but does not include green tea or green tea stalks.
(g) Registered Sellers of Tea Waste mean sellers of Tea Waste not domiciled in India and/or citizens of India who have been registered by Competent Authority in their countries of origin indicating detailed particulars of the manner of procurement of tea waste by such sellers in their respective countries along with a Certificate of Registration issued in this behalf by such authority.
With effect from such date as may be fixed by the Central Govt. by notification in the Official Gazette in this behalf, no person including a manufacturer of tea shall export, import, sell, offer for sale, buy from licensed sellers of tea wastes within India or from registered sellers of tea wastes beyond the territorial boundaries of India or hold in stock any tea waste except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence granted to him under this Order.
Provided that the Licensing Authority may allow sale, buying or holding in stock of any tea waste, which has not been so denatured specifically for use as raw material for the manufacture of instant tea;
Provided further that the tea waste before it is so exported, sold or held in stock, shall be denatured by the admixture of not less than five per cent, slack lime or such other denaturants as may be specified by the Board in this behalf from time to time.
With effect from the date referred to in Clause 3 no person shall dispose of any tea waste except in the following manner, namely :-
(a) by sale to any person holding a licence;
(b) by exports ;
(c) by utilising it in the manufacture of caffeine or instant Tea;
(d) by destruction, by burning or by conversion as compost in accordance with any procedure laid down under any excise law for the time being in force.
Every person desiring to obtain a licence shall make an application in duplicate to the Licensing authority in Form A annexed to this Order <TEAWASTE_LIC_APPLN_FORM>.
(1) The licensing authority may by Order, for reasons to be recorded refuse to grant a licence to any applicant and shall, as soon as possible, serve him with a copy of Order.
(2) Where an application for a licence is not refused under sub-clause (1) the Licensing Authority shall grant the applicant a licence for any or all of the following purposes, namely :-
(a) to buy tea waste ;
(b) to sell tea waste ;
(c) to hold and stock tea waste;
(d) to export tea waste.
(e) to import tea waste
(2A) Every such licence shall be in Form B <TEAWASTE_LIC> annexed to this Order and be subjected to the terms and conditions contained therein.
6A. Amendment of Licence
The Licensing Authority may, of its own motion or on application by the license, amend any licence granted under this Order in such manner as may be necessary to make such licence conform to the provisions of the Act, or this Order or any other law for the time being in force or to rectify any errors or omissions in the licence;
Provided that when an application by the licensee for amendment of the licence is not granted or where the Licensing Authority is of opinion that the proposed amendment will be prejudicial to the interest of the licensee, the licensee shall be given reasonable opportunity of being heard before action under this clause is taken.
Every licence shall unless previously cancelled, be in force until the 31st December next following.
(1) The licensing authority may, on application made to it in duplicate, renew a licence. Every such application and the certificate of renewal shall be in Form C <TEAWASTE_LIC_RENWL> annexed to this Order. Every renewed licence shall be valid upto the 31st December next following.
(2) No application for renewal shall be refused unless the applicant has been given an opportunity of being heard and reasons for such refusal are recorded in writing. The applicant shall, as soon as possible be served with a copy of the order of refusal.
8A. Secretary may sign licences
Notwithstanding anything contained in clause 6 or clause 8, any licence issued or renewed under this Order may be signed by the Secretary of the Tea Board for and on behalf of the Licensing Authority.
(1) No person shall transfer any licence granted to him under this Order.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-clause (1), a licence may admit any other person or persons as a partner or partners in the business covered by the licence amended by the Licensing authority accordingly as soon as possible.
Provided that he shall not take a partner who has been refused a granted or renewal of a licence for any serious and material irregularities.
10. Power to cancel or suspend licence
(1) The Licensing Authority may, after giving the licensee an opportunity of being heard.
(i) Cancel the licence: or
(ii) Suspend the licence for a period not exceeding six months pending enquiry and there after cancel, the licence on any of the following grounds namely:
(a) That the licence had been obtained by misrepresentation as to a material particular; or
(b) that any of the provisions of this order or any of the terms and conditions of the licence has been contravened; or
(c) that the licensee has been convicted of any offence for adulteration of their under the prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (37 of 1954); or
(d) that the licensee has produced or maintained incorrect accounts, registers, documents or knowingly furnished in correct information.
(2) Every order suspending or cancelling a licence shall be in writing and shall specify the reasons for the suspension or cancellation and shall be communicated to the licence within fifteen days of the passing thereof.
(3) Where a licence is suspended under sub-clause (1), the Licensing Authority or any Officer of the Board authorised in this behalf by the Licensing Authority may enter the premises of the licensee in which the tea waste is stored and sealed the stocks of tea waste therein,
(4) A licensee whose licence has been suspended shall not purchase or sell tea waste during the period of suspension of the licence.
(5) Where, after enquiry ---
(i) The order of suspension is cancelled, the stocks of tea waste sealed under sub-clause (3) shall be restored to the licensee: or
(ii) The licence has been cancelled, the Provisions of clause II shall apply to the disposal of such stocks.
(6) Where a licence is cancelled under sub-clause (i) the licensee shall not be entitled to claim refund of any sum paid to the Licensing Authority in respect of the licence.
Every person whose application for renewal of his licence has been refused or whose licence has been cancelled under this Order shall dispose of his stocks to tea waste in accordance with the preventions of clause 4 within such time as may be fixed in this behalf by the licensing authority.
Any person aggrieved by an order --
(a) refusing to grant or renew a licence, or
(b) cancelling a licence
may within sixty days from the date of service of the order, appeal to the Central Govt. and the decision of the Central Govt. shall be final.
(1) No licensee shall at any time after the expiry of four month from the date referred to in clause 3 have in his position any quantity of tea waste exceeding the quality* which may be fixed from time to time in respect of him in this behalf by the licensing authority.
(2) The licensing authority for the purpose of fixing any quantity of tea waste under sub-clause (1) shall have regard to the following factors, namely--
(i) tea waste sold or exported or bought or imported by the licensee or utilised by him in the manufacture of caffeine in the calendar year immediately proceeding the date of the licence or, as the case may be, the date of renewal thereof.
(ii) such other factors as the licensing authority may consider relevant in the circumstances of the case.
(1) Any officer of the Board duly authorised by the licensing authority may at all reasonable times take samples of tea waste held in stock by a licensee* or by any other person in such manner as may be prescribed by the licensing authority and have them analysed by an analyst approved by the licensing authority for the purpose of ascertaining in the tea waste has been denatured in accordance with the second proviso to clause 3.
(2) Where any sample is taken under sub-clause (1), its cost calculated at the rate at which such tea waste is usually sold shall be paid or offered to the person from whom it is taken.
(1) The Licensing Authority may issue directions to any licensee requiring him to maintain such records of his purchases, sales, exports, contracts or other matters connected with his undertaking, or business, in tea waste and in such form as may be specified in the directions.
(a) Any direction of the nature referred to sub-clause (1) may be issued generally to all licensees or any class thereof.
(1) The licensing authority or any officer of the Board specially authorised in writing by that authority in this behalf or an officer of the Central Excise Department not below the rank of Inspector may enter and search at all reasonable times any land, building, enclosed place, premises, vehicle, vessel, aircraft, conveyance, plant or machinery upon or in which tea waste is processed, stored sorted, manufactured, carried or sold; and such authority or officer, having reason to believe that tea waste is being processed, sorted, stored, carried or sold in contravention of this Order may seize such tea waste.
(2) The provisions of sections 102 and 103 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1858, relating to search and seizure shall so far as may be, apply to searches and seizures under this clause.
(3) Where the Licensing Authority or any officer of the Board seizes any tea waste under sub-clause (1) and decides to keep the same in the safe custody of the owner of such tea waste, such authority or officer shall, after sealing the stock, make and order to that effect in Form D <TEAWASTE_SEIZURE_MEMO> and serve the same on the owner and the owner shall comply with such order.
(1) The licensing authority or any officer of the Board specially authorised in writing by that authority in this behalf or an officer of the Central Excise Department not below the rank of Inspector may check the accounts or records of tea waste of any licensee, or check his stocks of tea waste physically for all or any of the purposes of the Act, or this Order.
(2) Where the stocks of tea waste are to be checked physically the licensee shall provide every facility to the officer or authority concerned, to make the physical check possible.
The fee payable to the licensing authority for the grant of a licence shall be one hundred rupees and for its renewal fifty rupees.
19 Mods of service of an order or direction
Any order or direction made or issued by the licensing authority may be served in the following manner, namely--
(a) in the case of an order of a general nature or affecting a class of persons by notification in the Official Gazette.
(b) in the case of an order directed to a special individual--
(i) by delivering or tendering it to that individual; or
(ii) if is cannot be so delivered or tendered, by affixing it on the outer door or some other conspicuous part of the premises in which that individual lives, and a written report thereof shall be prepared and witnessed by two persons living in the neighbourhood.
19A. False declaration of tea waste as tea to be deemed as contravention of this Order
(1) If a manufacturer makes a declaration or attempts to make a declaration that the tea waste held in his stock is tea, for the purpose of obtaining clearance from the factory under the Central Excise Rules, 1044, he shall be deemed to have contravened the provisions of the Order.
(2) Where any officer of the Central Excise Department responsible for allowing clearance of tea from the factory of a manufacturer suspects that the tea produced to be cleared is tea waste he shall, before allowing the clearance of tea, draw representative samples there from in the presence of the manufacture, divide the same into three parts and mark and seal or fasten up each part in such a manor as its nature permits. He shall deliver one of the parts to the manufacturer, send another part to the Tea Board for a finding whether the tea proposed to be cleared is tea or waste and retain the third
part for production in case any legal proceedings are taken against the manufacturer.
If any licensee commits any breach of any breach of the terms and conditions of the licence, he shall be deemed to have contravened the provisions of this Order.
Where the licensing authority is satisfied that having regard to the promotion of research or for the utilisation of tea waste for experimental purpose, it is necessary or expedient in the public interest so to do, it may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, exempt for a period of six months any tea estate, research organization or any other person, whether a licensee or not, from any of the provisions of this order.
Provided that where the licensing authority is satisfied that such exemption should continue to have effect after the expiry of the period of six months aforesaid, it may, from time to time, extend the period of such exemption for such period not exceeding six months at a time.