Guwahati: In a moment of national recognition, the Assam government has been bestowed with the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024.
The accolade, presented in the ‘Innovation-state’ category, celebrates the state’s groundbreaking educational initiative, ‘Shiksha Setu, Axom’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the award at the Civil Services Day celebrations held on April 21st.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his elation and extended his congratulations to the dedicated state team for this significant achievement. He emphasized that this recognition underscores Assam’s unwavering commitment to transforming its education sector.
The ‘Shiksha Setu’ application, the cornerstone of this award-winning initiative, stands as a comprehensive digital platform. It serves as a centralised repository of vital information pertaining to schools, students, and staff, streamlining daily administrative operations across the state.
Meanwhile, the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) has marked an extraordinary milestone, recording unprecedented tea sales amounting to a staggering Rs 3,850 crore in the financial year 2024-25. This remarkable feat represents a substantial increase of approximately Rs 800 crore compared to the preceding financial year.
Dinesh Bihani, Secretary of the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre Buyers Association, highlighted the significant growth. “In the financial year 2023-24, GTAC successfully sold 166.34 million kilograms of tea, valued at Rs 3048 crore, with an average price of Rs 183.21. However, in FY 2024-25, our sales surged to Rs 3850 crore, exceeding the previous year’s figure by a remarkable Rs 800 crore,” he stated. The Centre successfully auctioned 169.13 million kilograms of tea at an impressive average price of Rs 227.70.
Bihani further elaborated on the historical significance of this achievement. “In the last 52 years of its operation, this year marks the highest volume of tea ever sold at the GTAC. Despite a considerable shortfall of 60-70 million kilograms in the Assam tea crop last year, we managed to sell an additional 3 million kilograms of tea in FY 2024-25,” he added. The surge in tea prices at the GTAC is also proving beneficial for small-scale tea growers throughout the state, as it directly translates to an increase in the price of green leaves.
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