AGARTALA, April 28 (PTI): The North Eastern Council (NEC) has sanctioned Rs. 2.03 crore for the modernisation of Brahmakunda tea estate in West Tripura district, Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) chairman Santosh Saha said.
The state government had sent three proposals to the NEC for the modernisation of Durgabari tea estate and Brahmakunda tea estate and setting up of a tea museum at Durgabari tea estate- all in West Tripura district.
“Recently, the NEC has sanctioned Rs. 2.03 crore for modernisation of Brahmakunda tea garden while the two other projects are under active consideration of the NEC,” he told journalists on Wednesday.
The modernisation works at Brahmakunda tea estate will begin at the earliest and plans are afoot to complete it by one year, Saha said.
On setting up of a tea museum at Durgabari tea estate, the TTDC chairman said the century-old tea industry of the state will be depicted elaborately at the proposed site.
“We are in touch with the NEC to get the two remaining proposals sanctioned at the earliest,” he said.
The state, which has 54 big tea gardens and 2,755 small tea growers, produces 90 lakh kg of processed tea annually.
To popularise tea consumption among people, TTDC plans to organise a marathon next month in association with the Tea Board of India (TBI).
An event ‘Run for Tea’ was organised in 2019 to popularise the sipping of tea among people but it could not be held in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid pandemic, he said.