Tripura to launch management courses on tea production

Initially, diploma and post-graduate diploma-level courses of a one-year duration will be started, Tripura Tea Development Corporation Chairman Samir Ghosh told ANI.

When asked about the courses to be introduced at Maharaja Bir Bikram University, he said, "There are 54 gardens in the state. We have seen that in all these gardens, people from outside are acquiring posts like managers and senior managers. To make sure that locals can also develop the skills required to hold those positions, we have decided to launch diploma courses on tea management. Maharaja Bir Bikram University (MBB University) will conduct the classes."

"Both one-year diploma and post-graduate diploma courses will be launched from this academic session. Most of the work is done. Once the code of conduct is over, we shall introduce the courses. Six months of theory will be taught inside the university, and for the rest of the six months, the students will stay in gardens for practical knowledge. We shall get ample scope to create more employment opportunities. The trained persons can work anywhere in the country with the degree they will get on completion of the course," he added.

Ghosh, who had taken over charge of the state's biggest tea body having as many as two factories and five gardens under its control, also said that the state government's initiative to resolve housing problems of the tea garden workers elicited an enormous response. According to him, more than 2,000 families have already received the benefit of the scheme.

"The tea industry of Tripura had been neglected for a long but as soon as the BJP government took over the charge in 2018, a lot of new initiatives were undertaken to restore the glory of the lacklustre industry. We are trying hard to establish the identity of Tripura tea. We have decided that we will produce quality tea. This year, we are producing the best quality tea, which is being sold through the public distribution system. More than 3 lakh 40 thousand kgs of tea had been distributed among the ration shop owners so far," he said.

Sharing details of Mukhyamantri Cha Sramik Prakalpa Yojana, he said, 'The state government had launched a special scheme to help the tea garden workers. A sum of Rs 85 crore was allocated under the project through which the tea garden workers were allotted land titles, due to which they became entitled to the PM Awas Yojana Scheme. Out of 7,532 families of tea garden workers, more than 2,800 families received land titles."

On the auction centre that is going to be set up in Tripura, he said, "We want to thank Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha as his efforts turned our dream of having an auction centre here in Tripura into a reality. All local tea producers are going to benefit from this initiative. Our tea will fetch prices according to its quality. We have also decided to end the brokerage system as the whole auction will be carried out online." (ANI)