Tripura government has taken many pro-industry steps to boost the tea industry in the state, said Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma on Friday.

Addressing the first-ever consultative meeting of stakeholders for establishing a tea e-auction centre in Agartala, the minister alleged that tea, one of the oldest organized sectors, was largely ignored by the previous Left Front governments.

The present state government has taken initiatives to boost the tea industry in a big way. Now, tea produced in the state has got a brand and logo for proper marketing. Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha has laid the foundation for an e-auction centre in Agartala. It will be made operational shortly, said Chakma.

Seeking assistance from stakeholders Tea Board India (TBI), Tea Research Institute (TRI), Association of Tea Auctioneers and Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) for boosting the tea industry in the state, Chakma said the suggestions made by the experts during the meeting will be taken up at appropriate levels.

Sumanta Poddar, who represented the India Tea Association (ITA), claimed that the tea produced in the state was safest to drink as it uses a minimal range of pesticides.

Tripura Tea is the safest because it uses a minimal range of pesticides. Transportation of the finished product to auction centres at Kolkata or Guwahati is a major challenge for tea sellers of the state, said Podder.

Tanmoy Bandhapadhyay, in-charge of the Tea Research Institute (TRI), Tripura and Cachar centres, laid emphasis on quality plucking of tea leaves which is key to producing quality tea.

"There is a need to focus on quality plucking and manpower shortage in tea gardens. There is also a need to highlight the benefits of drinking tea to attract buyers in a big way," he said.

Tea Board of India (TBI)'s Factory Advisory Officer (FAO), Agartala, C Bharathiraja also laid emphasis on promotion of tea produced in the northeastern state. He said that branding and promotion of tea are required for the betterment of the tea industry. Besides, transportation of tea from factories to auction markets still remains a challenge. These are areas where attention is needed.

Acknowledging the concern over transportation costs, Director of Industries and Commerce, Vishwasree V, assured the attendees that the issues discussed in the consultation meeting will be looked into.

At present, Tripura has 54 tea gardens, producing around 9 million kg of finished tea annually. During the consultation meeting, the chairman of Tripura Tea Development Corporation Limited (TTDCL) Samir Ranjan Ghosh delivered his welcome address and managing director of TTDCL, Manik Lal Das along with other dignitaries were also present.