AGARTALA, March 19 (TIWN) : The tradition of tea gardening in Tripura is almost on the verge of extinction due to Tripura Govt.’s negligence and people attitude to nurture other products as rubber rather than bamboo and tea.

Although on before a week ago, after a long break, the Department for Industry and Commerce organized a seminar on Development of Tripura Tea Industry with the name of ‘Scope for specialty tea’ in the presence of Tripura CM Manik Sarkar, but the scenario of Tripura’s present tea gardening are in bad shape. Along with Chief Minister Manik the Industry and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty, Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh and others were also present.

Manik Sarkar however, by this programme had received a private company here in Tripura namely Luxmi Tea Company private limited, but this company which is based in Kolkata has shined less yet in all over India. In this regard, it can be said that Sarkar is trying to depend upon the private companies, without taking any imitative to save the govt. tea gardens here.

It’s worthy to mention here that the 58 tea gardens  in the state (at Indo-Bangla Border) were to operate at the optimum level producing (one crores kg of tea per year), but till day from Tripura Govt. side, no step has taken to improve tea plantation here in the state. As a result, the glory of tea-plantation in Tripura is losing its glory day after day.

Tea Industry which was started in Tripura by the people of East Bengal has lost its glory in the 22 years of Manik regime.

It seems that Tripura which was once hoped to equal with other hill stations of India including Darjeeling & Assam, now left with a bleak future and people here now prefers more harmful cultivations as rubber or Ganja plantation, rather than tea-plantation. So, if govt. takes initiatives to re-boost the tea gardens, then Tripura can get back its glory, as public will soon more lose interest in Tea Gardening and will go for other options.