New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) The government Monday said it has spent about Rs.49 crore from the special purpose tea fund set up to increase productivity through replantation and rejuvenation of old bushes.

The government launched the fund April 1, 2007, to be spent till the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period ending 2017.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2007-12) -- the first phase, the estimated expenditure has been pegged at Rs.800 crore, with the government contributing Rs.291 crore.

Of this, it has spent Rs.48.69 crore between April 1, 2007 and Nov 30, 2009.

The continuation of the scheme in the 12th Plan period will be considered after evaluation of its impact in the first phase.

Under the project, which will involve replanting and rejuvenating bushes more than 50 years old in about 100 tea estates, beneficiaries will bear 25 percent of the cost, with the remaining coming as government subsidies and soft loans from financial institutions.

In the 11th Plan period, replanting and rejuvenating will be carried out over 2.12 lakh hectares, an official statement said. Of this, replantation will be over 56,795 hectares.