Lockdown: GTAC reduces 'waiting time' to aid tea sellers

Guwahati, Apr 27 () In a bid to cooperate with thestakeholders of the cash-strapped tea industry in the wake ofthe ongoing lockdown, the auction centre here has decided toreduce "waiting time for sellers" to sell their produce andhelp them cut operational cost, an official said on Monday.

The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) will reduce thesale time to 17 days from the present 19-21 days adopted inall the auctioning houses, he said.

"The reduced waiting time for sellers will be offeredfor the next two sales at the auction centre," Guwahati TeaAuction Buyers' Association (GTABA) secretary Dinesh Bihanisaid.

The producers need not to wait for usual 19-21 days tosell their crops and can save cost for warehousing, he said.

The GTAC has also taken a step for new sellers, whowanted to offer their tea in the centre but could not submitrequisite documents due to lockdown, he said.

"For these sellers, GTAC has given them an opportunityto sell tea at the centre with provisional licences, Bihanisaid.

This facility is only available for those who areregistered with the Calcutta Tea Auction Centre, he said.

The GTAC was permitted by the Kamrup (Metro) districtauthorities to restart operations in a limited manner afterApril 20 to conduct e-auctions of the crop during the ongoinglockdown.

With the central government permitting opening of teagardens with certain conditions during the lockdown imposed tocheck the coronavirus outbreak, different districtadministrations in the tea growing areas of Brahmaputra valleyin north and Barak valley in south Assam have allowedplucking of leaves.

Tea estates in Assam have started plucking operationsfrom April 12 with 50 per cent workforce and in strictadherence to health safety norms, planters said. ESBBDC BDC