Centre contemplating special purpose fund for coffee, pepper

Kolkata, Jun 20 (UNI) The Centre is planning to set up special purpose fund for replantation of ageing trees of coffee, pepper and rubber.

'' We will seek cabinet approval for the special purpose funds for replantation of the ageing bushes of pepper, coffee and rubber in the lines of the Rs 4,700 crore Special Purpose Tea Fund for replantation of tea bushes, '' Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said here today.

The Centre had proposed replantation in 50,000 hectare in case of pepper at a cost of Rs 400 crore, while in case of coffee replantation would be taken up over 90,000 hectare at a cost of Rs 600 crore and in case of rubber the work would be taken up in 50,000 hectares at a cost of Rs 500 crore, Ramesh said.

Meanwhile, the first disbursement for the Special Purpose Tea Fund would start from November 2006, he said.

Ramesh, who was in the tea auction centre in Kolkata to launch the hardware for the proposed e-auction system, said by July, 2007, e-auction system would be put in place in the tea auction centres at Kolkata, Guwahati, Siliguri, Conoor, Coimbatore and Cochin and in the new auction centres in Jorhat and Dibrugarh.

Software company NSE.IT had been engaged to carry on a feasibility of the software for the e-auctioning centres in the country, the Minister said.

UNI TJP SJC DB1637