North Bengal Tea park - World’s largest tea park - inaugurated near New Jalpaiguri railway station

SILIGURI, 8 DEC: The north Bengal development minister, Mr Gautam Deb, today inaugurated the North Bengal Tea park near New Jalpaiguri railway station.   It has been learnt from the SJDA officials and senior functionaries of the Indian Tea Board that the Rs 23 crore 92 lakh project happens to be the second tea park of the world after Dubai and the largest tea park in the world.
The foundation of the project was laid by Union minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, way back in January 2009 in the presence of the former state industry minister, Mr Nirupam Sen and the former state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya.
The Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority had initiated the project. Around 80 acres of land was acquired from the Indian Railways on lease around three years ago to set up the Inland Container Depot. Around 59.5 acres were later earmarked for the North Bengal Tea Park project.
The SJDA chairman and the Siliguri MLA, Dr Rudra Nath Bhattacharya, Siliguri mayor, Ms Gangotri Dutta and the state principal secretary in charge of urban development, Mr Debasis Sen were present at the inaugural function.
As many as 134 entrepreneurs who had been allotted land at the park received the possession certificates today. In his inaugural address, Mr Deb said that the project would not just boost the commercial prospects for the region but would go a long way in addressing the mounting unemployment problem. “The youths would get jobs as the project would be expanded in the coming years. This apart, it would bring in investment which will help the commercial growth of the region,” he said.
But, at the same time, the minister cautioned the SJDA against the misuse of the Tea Park premises.
“The SJDA must be on its guard against attempts to dilute the objective with which the project has been inaugurated today. Nothing should be allowed in the premises, which has no connection with tea and related matters,” he said. 
Rejecting the land-dispute allegation involving the just inaugurated project, Mr Deb said that there was no ambiguity regarding ownership of the land. “I am, however, asking the SJDA officials to clear confusion on the matter if any,” he said.
“There would be units that would look after processing, blending, storing, warehousing and the like. We are sure the project would prove a developmental milestone as the Union infrastructure ministry, the Tea Board of India and the SJDA have all stake in it,” said Mr Amal Roychowdhury, an adviser to the Indian Tea Board.
-statesman news service