Lok Sabha Question No. 163 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-31
Subject: Tea Research and Development Centre
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA

**STARRED QUESTION NO. 163**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 31** **ST** **JULY 2015**

**TEA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE**

**163(H). DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL "NISHANK”:**

Will the Minister of **COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (´ÉÉÉÊhÉVªÉ A´ÉÆ =tÉÉäMÉ àÉÆjÉÉÒ)** be pleased to state:

- 1.1. whether the Government proposes to upgrade the Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre, Kurseong and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- 1.2. the budgetary allocation made and funds utilised by the tea centre during the last three years, year-wise along with major initiatives/research undertaken by the centre on tea;
- 1.3. whether any new centre is proposed to be set up by Tea Board and other institutions for encouraging the research in tea and if so, the details thereof;
- 1.4. whether the Government proposes to seek the co-operation of Agri universities and other research institutes in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- 1.5. whether the Government also proposes to collaborate with the private sector to develop and augment the production of new varieties of tea and improve its quality and if so, the details thereof?

### ANSWER

**okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx jkT; ea=h  )Lora= izHkkj)** ( **Jherh fueZyk lhrkje.k** )

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

1. to  e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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**STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 163 FOR ANSWER ON 31** **ST** JULY, 2015 REGARDING “TEA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE”

(a):	Upgradation of Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre (DTR&DC) is an ongoing activity initiated during the XIth Plan and is aimed at making DTR&DC, a Centre of Excellence for undertaking research and development work for Darjeeling Tea.  Development of infrastructure, including extension of laboratory at DTR&DC, Kurseong, establishment of a Quality Control Laboratory (QCL) at Siliguri and provision of scientific instruments are elements of the said upgradation scheme.

(b):	Details of receipt and expenditure of DTR&DC, Kurseong during the last three financial years are given below:

| **Year**   | **Non-Plan & Plan**   |                       |
|------------|---------------------------|-----------------------|
|            | **Receipt (Rs.)**         | **Expenditure (Rs.)** |
| 2012-13    | 1,51,80,440               | 1,49,63,390           |
| 2013-14    | 1,01,79,030               | 1,12,16,900           |
| 2014-15    | 66,57,100                 | 65,91,872             |

Major initiatives for development and research undertaken by the centre (including QCL) during the last three years include, inter alia, development of quality clones for Darjeeling Tea, determination of suitable pruning cycle for Darjeeling Tea, integrated nutrient management programme, studies on soil conservation, analysis of quality parameters of Darjeeling tea clones, studies on weed management, standardization of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) parameters in tea at QCL, Siliguri and field trial on data generation for pesticide residues.

(c):	At present, there is no proposal for setting up a new research centre by the Tea Board.

(d):	Tea Board regularly undertakes activities aimed at research and training in association with agricultural universities and research institutions such as Tea Research Association (TRA), Tea Research Foundation (TRF) of United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) and others.  Tea Board provides assistance to Sikkim University, North Bengal University and Assam Agricultural University, inter alia, for conducting specialized courses on tea. Integrated research projects have been formulated in cooperation with reputed Research and Development institutes and universities, e.g. Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur; Assam Agricultural University; C-DAC, Kolkata; IIT- Kharagpur etc.

(e):	Tea Board, through the DTR&DC, has involved the private sector including privately run commercial tea estates in developing new cultivars useful for enhancing productivity of tea estates and improving tea quality.

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