The central government through the Tea Board is implementing a scheme, Tea Development and Promotion Scheme (TDPS), for the promotion of the tea sector in states, including Uttarakhand, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said on Friday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that the activities under the TDPS include activities for improvement in tea production, productivity, quality up-gradation, research and extension, promotion of exports and value addition by providing financial and technical assistance to growers and other stakeholders of the industry.

Patel said that a total of Rs 2.73 crore has been spent from 2017-18 to 2021-22 (till June 2021) for the tea sector in the state. "More emphasis is being given on quality improvement of tea, cluster formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to move them up value chain, extending assistance to the small growers, setting up of mini tea factories, for small tea growers (STGs)/ SHGs to turn them entrepreneur," Patel said.

The Uttarakhand Tea Development Board set up by the state is also mandated for the overall development of the sector in Uttarakhand, she said, while replying to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni if the government is considering over expansion of tea production in Uttarakhand, keeping in view the fact that it is being grown in the state for more than hundred years.

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