GUWAHATI: Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (CISTA) has sought plantation credit cards along the lines of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) from the Centre in Budget 2012-13.

In its pre-budget memorandum to the Union finance minister, CISTA said the attitude of financial institutions towards small tea growers (STG) was negative . Even bought leaf factories are getting loa from banks with subsidy from Tea Board. But STGs are being deprived. In Karnataka, small coffee growers are availing of Plantation Credit Card like Kisan Credit Card but Nabard has no master plan to extend credit facility to small tea growers.