GUWAHATI, Oct 13 � In his address at the tea industry�s stakeholders� consultative meeting held in presence of Union Minister of State (Independent) for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman here today, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi pleaded for according the national drink status to tea.
In the speech read out by State�s Commerce and Industries Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, the Chief Minister also called for steps to shift the Tea Board headquarters to Assam to provide impetus to the tea industry in this part of the country, which has stood out as the core of the country�s tea industry. The Chief Minister could not make it to the function due to illness.
The Chief Minister also called for creation of the post of Director in the Directorate of Small Tea Growers set up for the benefit of the small tea growers.
He also requested the Central Government for a mission mode programme to improve the human development indices particularly in the fields of education, health, maternal mortality, infant mortality, malnutrition etc., of the tea garden workers.
He demanded a special package for revival of Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) and urged the Union Government to explore the possibility of revival of the ATCL gardens with the active involvement of Andrew Yule.
He further called for steps to take over the Tea Research Association at Tocklai, Jorhat and its upgradation to a level of national institute.
In its memorandum to the Union Minister, the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) pleaded for a complete reformation in the present e-auction system for the sake of fair price discovery.
The NETA memorandum signed by its chairman Bidyananda Barkakoty, laid emphasis on making e-auction a Pan-India affair.
The Association also called for steps to set up a tea auction centre at Jorhat and to launch an electronic platform, similar to e-platform to sell tea waste, for sale of tea.
