Assam planter elected Tea Board vice chairman

Assam's eminent tea planter Bidyananda Barkakoty was today elected as the vice chairman of the Tea Board of India.
Barkakoty was elected for a period of one year in the 227th Board Meeting of the Tea Board held in Kolkata today. His tenure will be from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017.
Barkakoty told PTI after his election that his priority will be to resolve the issue of price realisation amid the rise in cost of production to ensure the survival of the tea industry.
He said the focus will be on providing more benefits and facilities to tea plantation workers and bringing in schemes for small tea growers (STGs) to ensure that they get proper price for their green leaf.

The Tea Board would also focus on proper transportation and handling of green leaf, which will eventually help in improving the quality of tea, he said.
The board would also strengthen the tea research and development centres -- Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI) and UPASI Tea Research Foundation (UPASI TRF), he added.
Barkakoty is the advisor to North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), of which he was also the chairman for six years, an executive committee member of Assam Tea Planters' Association (ATPA) and President of the NGO Tea Vision.