ALL PARTY DELEGATION OF ASSAM MEETS MARAN
A high-level
delegation of all parties from the State of Assam called on Shri
Murasoli Maran, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, here
today and submitted a memorandum listing out the problems of tea
industry. The delegation requested shifting of the Head Offices
of the tea companies from Kolkata to Assam as also shifting of
the office of Tea Board of India from Kolkata to Guwahati. The
Assam Legislative Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution on
April 2, 2002 reiterating this demand. The 17-member delegation
was led by Shri Prithibi Majhi, Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly,
which included 3 Ministers and 14 MLAs. Shri Dipak Chatterjee,
Commerce Secretary; Shri V. Govindarajan, Secretary, Department
of Industrial Policy & Promotion; and Shri L.V. Saptharishi,
Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce were present at the
meeting along with other senior officers.
The delegation
pointed out that Assam is the largest tea producing State in India
with the production of 451.24 M. Kgs. in 2000 against all India
production of 847 M. Kgs. Some of the main problems raised by
the delegation were: fall in price of made tea resulting very
low prices for the green tea leaves, fall in exports of tea, international
competition even from smaller and new producing countries such
as Kenya and increase in cost of production.
Shri
Maran gave a patient hearing to the representation of the delegation
and said that the government is well aware of the problems being
faced by tea industry. The Minister said that the government has
been taking specific steps to promote trade and commerce in the
North Eastern region.
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