New Delhi, May 25: Parliament to-day authorised the Union government to take over the management of sick and un-economic tea gardens with the Rajya Sabha passing the Tea (amendment) Bill, 1975.

The Bill, earlier passed by the Lok Sabha, empowered the Centre to order an investigation into the working of a sick tea undertaking and to take decision for liquidation or reconstruction of the taken-over undertaking.

Winding up a brief discussion on the Bill, the Commerce Minister, Mr. D. P. Chattopadhyaya said public sector organisations would be given priority in managing the taken-over-tea undetakings.

Such public sector bodies had adequate expertise in running tea gardens.

Assuring that people responsible for mismanaging the existing tea units would not get any sympathy from the Government, the Minister did not rule our the possibility of allowing some private owners to run the taken-over tea gardens.

The Minister said the multi-national companies handling Indian tea had been requested to export more processed tea in packages.