Tea research hampered

As a result, research and fieldwork on tea are being greatly hampered.

The BRTI was set up at Srimongal, the country's tea belt area in Moulvibazar district, in 1957 to develop tea industry.

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After establishment, BTRI became successful in its research work and earned fame at national and international levels.

But it is now is facing a severe manpower crisis. At least 73 posts are vacant for long and there is no initiative to till up those, sources there told this correspondent during a recent visit.

The BTRI has eight department-- soil chemistry, plant pathology, entomology, botany, tea technology, agronomy, statistics and administration -- with 36 posts of scientists. But 18 post are now vacant.

Posts of three chief scientific officers in plant pathology department; four senior scientific officers in agronomy, entomology and tea technology departments; nine scientific officers in agronomy, botany statistics and soil chemistry and one medical officer and one assistant superintendent are vacant for long, the sources said.

Besides, four posts of officials, 37 of clerical employees and 14 posts of fourth class employees are vacant.

There has been no recruitment since 1992. Many scientists have gone on retirement and many others left job.

These posts should be filed in soon to facilitate research for development of the foreign exchange earning sector, they said.