The BJP MP and the Trinamool Congress MLA of Jalpaiguri shared the dais and underscored the need to work for development by setting aside their political interests as they inaugurated the resumption of tea auction here on Monday.

The North Bengal Tea Auction Centre, opened in 2005, had been closed since 2014 because of a low inflow of the produce.

The MP and the MLA referred to each other in their speeches and stressed the need for development in Jalpaiguri district.

“For years, Jalpaiguri, which is the divisional headquarters of north Bengal, has lacked development. Besides, the tea industry is plagued by problems. I feel we two should work together to resolve the issues and expedite the development of the district. We have to think and work while keeping aside political interests for the sake of the district,” MP Jayanta Roy said.

MLA Pradip Kumar Barma said: “We might represent different political parties, but we should always work together for the district’s development. In that case, we will have to act beyond politics.”

The duo lit the lamp together to mark the resumption of the tea auction. The MP sang “Bhawaiya” (Rajbanshi folk song), while the MLA performed Rabindrasangeet at the event.

Representatives of the auction centre said around 45,000 kilos of tea were sold online on the first day. “We received 1.05 lakh kilos of tea, out of which 45,000 kilos were sold today. The highest and the lowest prices at the auction were ₹227 and ₹114 per kilo, respectively,” said Sanjay Dhanoti, the chairman of the task force that runs the centre.

Bijoygopal Chakraborty, the president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (Cista), said the small tea section produced around 290 million kilos of tea in north Bengal a year.

“We hope a considerable portion of it will be auctioned off at the Jalpaiguri centre. There is no reason for the inflow of tea to be less here, as the region (north Bengal) produces around 430 million kilos of tea,” he said.

Local trade bodies have welcomed the reopening of the auction centre.

“Jalpaiguri was always known for the tea industry. We believe the resumption of the tea auction will boost the local economy and generate employment,” said Kishor Marodia, the general secretary of the North Bengal National Chambers of Commerce
& Industries.