Kolkata: Tea Board chairman PK Bezbaruah on Sunday said that the board should adopt a liberalized system where the private sector can also enter. He said that the role of the Tea Board should be limited to issuing licenses only after examining the financial capacity of the concerned units for opening the auction center.
“This is the appropriate time when the Tea Board should disassociate itself from the functioning of the auction system and be the only license-issuing body,” said Bezbaruah, adding that the current auction scenario in North India reflected the failure of the system. Does because it has affected the purpose of fair price discovery.
Different varieties of tea are being sold at auction centers at a price of Rs 50 per kg. Not only this, the price of good quality tea also comes to 60 rupees per kg. Bezbaruah said, “When this tea goes outside the auction system, the price increases by 30 rupees a kg.”
He said, “I suggest that the Tea Board should disassociate itself from the process and create a competitive environment where anyone with a strong financial position and experience can establish such centers.” Six auction centers Cochin, Kolkata, Siliguri, Coimbatore, Guwahati and Kannur. It is controlled by the Tea Board and provides subsidies. These units provide the software that the board uses.
