Fund crunch cripples world’s oldest tea research institute
Guwahati, Dec 1: The Central government has announced its commitment to addressing the financial challenges faced by the Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI) in Upper Assam’s Jorhat district, which is the oldest and largest tea research facility in the world.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, announced during a stakeholders’ meeting in Guwahati, attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other officials.
Goyal assured stakeholders that the Ministry would take steps to provide adequate funds to resolve TTRI’s financial difficulties.
The Union Ministry plans to waive the requirement for a 50% margin on upgrading Tocklai’s laboratory, easing financial constraints.
The Minister proposed tapping into CSR funding from major corporations like Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and Tata Consumer Products Ltd. to support the institute.
In the meeting, TRA secretary Joydeep Phukan pointed out that reduced contributions from the tea industry and funding caps imposed by the Tea Board have severely impacted the institute’s ability to meet obligations, including employee benefits and research activities.
Chief Minister Sarma emphasized the institute’s importance to the tea industry and called for increased central government support.
Established in 1911, TTRI has been a cornerstone of tea research in India. It came under the Tea Research Association (TRA) in 1964 and has since been a vital institution for advancing tea cultivation and innovation.
The institute’s financial troubles were exacerbated after the withdrawal of support by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1996.
