GUWAHATI, May 10 � The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong has been engaged by the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) to go into the issues connected with its performance. The issue of the Kolkata Tea Auction Centre drawing a sizeable amount of tea from Assam at the cost of the State has been taken up by the GTAC seriously.
This was informed by the GTAC chairman and the Principal Secretary of the State�s Industry Department, Ravi Capoor here on Monday at a press conference.
The tea producers of the State have also been requested to pay heed to the interests of the State, he said.
He also informed that within the next two months, the Shillong IIM is expected to submit its report. The GTAC will then address the issues connected with its performance, Capoor said.
It may be mentioned here that Assam produces around 500 million kilograms of tea in a year. Since 50 per cent of the tea produced in the country is routed through its six auction centres, it is expected that the GTAC should auction 250 million kgs of tea annually. But, contrary to this expectation, it is in practice auctioning only 130 million kgs of tea, that is, half of the expected quantity.
