Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today wrote a letter to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urging her to appoint a regular chairman of Tea Board of India for ensuring long-term success and competitive viability of the industry.
According to an official release, Gogoi urged Sitharaman to give attention to the needs and welfare of tea workers, growers, packers and consumer and enlist tea as a state subject.
Gogoi in his letter said in order to look after the long term interests of the tea industry, posting of a regular chairman has become a sine qua non.
He also sought the intervention of the Union minister for filling up of the post of an executive director of Tea Board in Assam which is lying vacant for the last two years.
Referring to the reported move of shifting of the office of the executive director of Tea Board from Jorhat to Guwahati, Gogoi termed it as retrogressive as Jorhat is the hub of tea producing belt of Assam.
"Moreover, the move would likely to harm the interests of a large number of entrepreneurs as they would be deprived of the services of the Tea Board," he added.
Gogoi also drew the attention of the Union minister to the fact that the post of director of Small Tea Growers is yet to be filled since its inception three years back.
"Moreover, pending status of a substantial chunk of applications for 'Bought Leaf Tea Factories' with the Tea Board of India has not gone down well with the tea industry," he added.
