Tripura’s first tea auction centre likely by April, boost for local growers

Agartala, Feb 21: The proposed tea auction centre in Tripura is likely to become operational by April, officials stated. The State’s first tea auction centre is being set up at Gurkhabasti in West Tripura district. Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha had laid its foundation stone in March, 2024.

At present, India has seven tea auction centres, while tea growers in Tripura are compelled to send their produce to centres in Guwahati and Kolkata, a process that is both time-consuming and expensive.

The Chairman of the Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC), Samir Ranjan Ghosh, said that tea buyers have sought transport subsidy support to ensure the viability of the new centre.

Responding to the demand, the TTDC has decided to provide a subsidy of Rs 4 per kg from its own funds. Ghosh said that this step would encourage active participation of buyers and help local planters avoid the high transportation costs incurred while sending tea outside the State.

“If the auction centre is established here, tea traders will no longer need to send their produce outside Tripura. Buyers and sellers will also get better price realisation, as Tripura’s tea often does not receive priority at auction centres outside the State,” he said.

The initiative has other major revenue implications too. Once the auction centre becomes operational, the State will be treated as a tea-consuming State, enabling it to collect GST on local transactions.

Tripura has 54 operational tea estates producing nearly 90 lakh kg of tea annually, with over 30,000 people directly dependent on the sector. This highlights the economic significance of the upcoming auction facility.