More jobs created due to tea e-auction: Tea Board Chairman

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) The proposed e-auction of tea will expand the number of buyers by breaking the power of monopoly buyers as also remove the distortions in the market leading to better price discovery, according to Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh.

The Minister was speaking at a discussion hosted by him last evening on the proposed tea e-auction in India with the MPs of the tea growing areas in India in continuation of the tradition of evening-discussions with the MPs on matters of importance. The Additional Secretary and Director (Plantations) in the Department of Commerce and Chairman, Tea Board also attended.

Seeking to allay fears about the fallout of tea e-auction on employment, Tea Board Chairman Basudeb Banerjee clarified that the proposed system would provide more employment through the creation of ware-housing hubs that would now come up in more locations to cater to the proposed system.

Mr Ramesh also announced the holding of the India International Tea Festival in November 2007 in Guwahati and sought the support of the MPs to make it a grand success.

Earlier, the Tea Board Chairman in his presentation elaborated upon the different primary marketing channels for tea in India and the role of public tea auctions in the primary marketing of the commodity.

Referring to the present electronic auction, currently being conducted at five of the six auction centres in the country, the Chairman analysed the issues raised by buyers, brokers and producers on its functioning. He wrapped up his presentation by placing before the MPs the contours of the proposed electronic auction system and sought their feedback.

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