Jalpaiguri Tea Auction Center to reopen in December

Jalpaiguri: The Jalpaiguri Tea Auction Center is set to reopen in December this year, according to a recent announcement by the Tea Board.

This decision follows an RTI query filed by Pratap Raut, office executive of the Jalpaiguri Tea Auction Center. The news has been welcomed by tea traders and local stakeholders.

On Tuesday, Jalpaiguri MP Dr. Jayant Kumar Roy convened a meeting to discuss the reopening. Held at the Indian Tea Planters Association’s conference hall, the meeting included members of the Tea Producers Association and tea plantation owners.

The Jalpaiguri Tea Auction Centre has been closed since 2014 and its reopening has been a long-standing demand from local residents and tea traders. For the past decade, tea produced in the Dooars region had to be transported to Siliguri for auction. Complaints arose about the inadequate auctioning of high-quality teas in Siliguri, leading to private sales and tax evasion issues.

A committee was formed to explore reopening the center, and a 21-member task force advocated in favor of it during a meeting in March last year. Pratap Raut, who filed the RTI on June 28 to inquire about the board’s decision, stated, “The Tea Board has confirmed that efforts are underway to reopen the center in December. However, the Tea Board’s response also highlighted several challenges, which seem unfounded. For instance, the short distance between Coonoor and Coimbatore in South India supports the operation of two auction centers. With Terai-Dooars producing 60 crore kg of tea annually and only 13 crore kg auctioned in Siliguri, it is evident that a significant portion of tea is being sold through tax- evading methods.”

The reopening news has been met with enthusiasm from small garden owners, tea traders, and local residents. MP Dr. Jayant Kumar Roy affirmed that the meeting was held with the expectation of a December launch and assured that any identified issues would be addressed promptly.