JORHAT, March 1 � A curtain raiser conference on the occasion of Tocklai Experimental Station�s centenary to highlight the achievements of Tocklai and the current problems of the tea industry among the international audience is going to be held at the 19th session of the FAO of United Nations Intergovernmental Group on Tea at New Delhi from May 12 to May 14, 2010, said DP Maheswari, vice-chairman, TRA at a press conference held at Tocklai Experimental Station here on Thursday. �Our request was accepted by the Director General of FAO, UN, based in Rome,� he further added.
�Christened as �Infini-tea�, a term coined to ensure the future of tea, the conference is a rare honour for TRA,� said Mridul Hazarika, Director, TRA. For the physical infrastructural upgradation at Tocklai and its outstations on the eve of the centenary, the Government of India has awarded a grant of Rs 20 crore to TRA in the budget of 2007-08. Out of the Rs 20 crore, a sum of Rs 15 crore has been spent on projects related to Tocklai Experimental Station, the vice-chairman stated.
Answering to a question of mediapersons, Mridul Hazarika, director, TRA said, �The ongoing clash between the Employees� Union of TRA and its management has been resolved through a discussion on Wednesday.�
When contacted, an office-bearer of the employees� union of TRA told this Correspondent that responding to the request of the vice-chairman, TRA to create a congenial atmosphere for the centenary celebration, the union has stopped the strike for the time being and will observe whether the promises given by the management would be fulfilled in the course of time.
