Crippled by coal crisis, Tripura adopts gas-based tea processing

Agartala (Tripura) [India], January 9 (ANI): In search of alternative power sources to combat the perennial crisis of coal, Tripura Tea Development Corporation has signed an agreement with Tripura Natural Gas Corporation Limited (TNGCL) to convert two of its factories into gas-based processing units.
The TNGCL will supply the required gas for the processing of tea in two factories at Durgabari in the first place, said Tripura Tea Development Corporation Chairman Santosh Saha.
Briefing the media persons on the sidelines of a meeting, Saha said, "Coal crisis is persistent here in this part of the country. To tackle this, we have signed an agreement with the TNGCL. They have already started work for the extension of gas lines towards our factories in Durgabari area and as expected by the end of February next, the line extension works would be over".
According to Saha, the next processing season is set to begin from the end of March or the first week of April. Both the factories belonging to Tripura Tea Development Corporation and the co-operative society of the local small tea growers shall be completely converted into gas-based processing units. This will help growers get an undisrupted supply of energy at a cheaper cost, he added.
Saha also informed that after 42 years of formation, for the first time the tea body of Tripura earned a profit of a little over Rs 1 crore.
"From 1980, the TTDC has been running at loss. In the 2020-21 financial year, the TTDC has for the first time recorded a profit of Rs 1 crore 12 lakhs. I hope we can continue to make profits through our efforts to popularize Tripura tea in domestic as well as national markets," said Saha.
On being asked about the production of green tea, Saha said, the TTDC shall form a network of Green Tea growers in the state to make sure that the production could be channelized in the right direction and people's demand be fulfilled. (ANI)