Question : E-AUCTION BY TEA BOARD OF INDIA

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY(SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)

(a) : The re-designed E-auction system for tea has been inaugurated at the following centers in order to replace the existing manual tea auction system :-

Auction Centres	Inauguration date

Kolkata tea auction centre	19-11-2008

Guwahati tea auction centre	08.12.2008

Siliguri tea auction centre	13.12.2008

Coimbatore tea auction centre	20.12.2008

Cochin tea auction centre	20.12.2008

Coonoor tea auction centre	21.12.2008

(b) : The re-designed e-auction system is more beneficial to auction stakeholders particularly auction buyers including auction tea buyers of Assam as it has the following facilities.

1) Facility for parallel bidding

2) Larger participation of eligible buyers in the bidding process ensuring competition in the fair price discovery mechanism

3) Buyers are able to participate in the bidding process not only from auction hall but also from outside the auction hall

4) Transparency in the pre e-auction mechanism, e-auction mechanism and post e-auction mechanism

(c) : The details are as follows :

i) Customisation of software for User Acceptance Testing (UAT),

ii) Arrangement of primary network connectivity i.e. MPLS VPN network connectivity to six auction centers including Guwahati and to the server hosting station at Mumbai

iii) Circulation of users’ manual to all the auction centers including Guwahati indicating step by step direction on how to use software by tea auction stakeholders.

iv) Deployment of six support engineers at six auction centers including Guwahati.

v) Imparting of training to the stakeholders of six auction centres including Guwahati during September-October 2008.

vi) Making necessary arrangements for mock sessions in the six auction centers including Guwahati.