GUWAHATI, Sept 21 - Adviser to the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) Bidyananda Barkakoty has urged Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to allot a space at the Assam House in New Delhi for setting up a �Tea Room� or �Tea Emporium� for promoting Assam tea.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Barkakoty, who is also the vice chairman of the Tea Board of India, said the NETA has come up with the concept of �Tea Room� or �Tea Emporium�, where a wide range of �garden fresh� tea will be made available for retail sale along with a tea lounge for different varieties of brewed tea. The association longs for setting up such a �Tea Room� at the new Assam House, located at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi, he said.
A �Tea Room� in New Delhi will give an opportunity to the people of Delhi and to the national and international visitors to Delhi to taste garden fresh pure Assam tea. The NETA will ensure availability of best quality garden fresh Assam tea so that people can relish the unique liquor and taste of authentic Assam tea. Moreover, a �Tea Room� in New Delhi will help in brand building of Assam tea, he argued.
�This proposition is not for a pure commercial venture but to integrate the concept, culture and knowledge of Assam tea with the different strata of New Delhi�s society and with the national and international visitors to Delhi,� said Barkakoty.
He added, �But the above noble concept can be transformed into reality only if we are allotted a space at Assam House, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. We seek your patronage and guidance to take this concept forward.�
Arguing further, he said India is the largest producer and the largest consumer of black tea in the world. Tea is not just a beverage but also a healthy drink. But it should be admitted that till now the country has failed to market tea as a health drink and Assam has failed in branding Assam tea. This is despite the fact that Assam alone produces 52 per cent of the country�s tea and North East India as a whole produces about 55 per cent of the total tea produced in the country. Therefore, to promote Assam Tea, the NETA has come up with the concept of �Tea Room� or �Tea Emporium�, said the NETA adviser.
