Question : TOCKLAI TEA RESEARCH INSTITUTE

(a) whether Tocklai Tea Research Institute is only such institute in the country which receives hundred percent grant from the Government for carrying out research on all aspects of tea cultivation and its processing;

(b) if so, the details of the total funds allocated and expenditure incurred by the said research institute during each of the last three years and the current year;

(c) the achievements and innovations made by the said institute during the said period in the field of tea cultivation and its processing;

(d) the details of the expenses incurred on foreign tours of non-scientist executives during the said period;

(e) whether the Government proposes to develop, modernise and declare Tocklai Tea Research Centre as a National Institution of Excellence and also open similar research institutes across the country; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the present status thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (DR. D. PURANDESWARI)

(a): No, Madam.

(b): Does not arise.

(c): The salient achievements made are as under:-

# Two new cultivars (Lengree 51 & 56) have been released to the industry as drought tolerant clonal cultivars for the use in the tea plantations of drought prone areas.

# A new technology has been developed for the production of enriched vermicompost for the use of the tea industry.

# A formulation using Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) was developed for enhancing the plant growth of tea plantation and to increase the resistance of the plant against pest and disease which further reduces the pesticide application on tea.

# Package of practices was developed for organic tea cultivation.

# A modified rolling table was developed for the improvement of Darjeeling tea processing.

# Tea diversified products (tea tablet and tea based soft drink) were developed as bi-product of tea.

# Molecular documentation of Darjeeling tea clones have been completed for identification and protection purpose.

# Remote Sensing Imageries for different areas of tea plantation (Cachar, Dooars, Tingrai and Nanoi basins) were developed.

(d): The expenses on travel for overseas tours for nonscientific persons such as the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Additional Vice Chairman and Secretary is as under :

Year	Expenses incurred	Details of foreign tours
2009	Rs 2,93,340/-	To attend 6th Tea Producer Consumer Meeting at	London and Inter Sessional Meeting of the FAO	IGG on Tea at Rome
2010	Rs 1,89,896/-	To attend COTECA Conference at Hamburg, ITC Tea	Producer’s Meeting and 1st North American Tea	Conference at Canada
2011	Rs 8,26,445/-	To attend 7th Tea Producer Consumer Meeting at	London, Inter-sessional Meeting of the FAO IGG on	Tea and 2nd North American Tea Conference at USA
2012	Rs 6,82,470/-	To attend the 20th session of FAO IGG on Tea at	Colombo, 1st India UK Food & Drink Conference	organized by Indian High Commission, London, 3rd	North American Tea Conference at Canada and Inter	Sessional Meeting of the FAO IGG on Tea at USA
2013	Rs 86,094/-	Secretary TRA attended the meeting of the	International Tea Producer’s forum at Colombo as	Co-ordinator of FAO IGGMatters for India.	Expenses will be reimbursed by Tea Board of	India.