Ilam, Dec 13

The Central Tea Cooperative Federation (CTCF) has decided to launch skill enhancement project for quality tea in 12 districts including Ilam. The project to be funded by the European Union will be managed by the British Council. The project will focus on making tea industrialists, farmers and workers skilled and efficient.

Panchthar, Jhapa, Taplejung, Morang, Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Udayapur, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Ramechhap and Lalitpur are other districts selected for the project implementation that includes a 15-month-long training. With the completion of training, 300 skilled youth force will be produced and such workforce will work for boosting up tea quality. They will be trained on skills required for a team leader, finance officer, communications and statistics officer, administration and project assistant, chief and assistant trainers and local management facilitation assistant.

All those to be selected for training will be trained by project local partner Ratna Kumar Bantawa Polytechnic Institute as per the CTEVT standard, according to Dr Sumit Adhikari of the project. Training will have 20 percent theoretical and 80 percent practical classes. Twenty individuals will be included for one session. The project is estimated to cost Rs 31.15 million. The Association will contribute Rs 2.64 million to the project, according to Association Chair Govinda Dahal.