Agartala: The long-awaited launch of Tripura’s tea auction centre is awaiting a decision on transport subsidy, even as the state’s tea sector is set to attract proposed investments worth Rs 726 crore through agreements to be signed at the Destination Tripura Business Conclave.
Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh on Wednesday said all the infrastructure required for the auction centre has already been put in place, but prospective buyers have sought a transport subsidy before commencing operations.
“The office, warehouses, and other necessary facilities are ready. Buyers have requested a transport subsidy from the state government. The government is examining the proposal positively, and we hope the auction centre will become operational soon,” Ghosh told reporters.
He said meetings with tea buyers from Assam and West Bengal have been scheduled to finalise the operational roadmap for the auction centre. At present, tea produced in Tripura is largely traded through auction centres in the two neighbouring states.
Ghosh said the upcoming Destination Tripura Business Conclave on July 9 and 10 is expected to mark a major milestone for the state’s tea industry, with private companies proposing investments totalling Rs 726 crore.
According to TTDC, NDR Infrastructure Private Limited has proposed the largest investment of Rs 500 crore for integrated tea estates, MSME-based tea processing units, value addition, and an export facilitation hub.
Monoworld Recycling Private Limited has expressed interest in investing Rs 100 crore, while Itibachak Barta Foundation has proposed another Rs 100 crore for tea garden and factory modernisation, support for small tea growers, research, skill development, digital technology, branding, marketing, and tea tourism.
Infidirect Tech Solutions Private Limited has proposed an investment of Rs 26 crore to operate TTDC tea estates under a lease or PPP model and establish blending and packaging units.
Ghosh said the proposed investments are expected to generate around 4,000 employment opportunities and represent the biggest investment commitment received by Tripura’s tea sector so far.
He said nearly 20,000 workers are engaged in the state’s tea gardens and currently receive a daily wage of Rs 204. According to him, the wage has been revised several times since 2018, when it stood at Rs 105 per day.