Agartala, Jan 20 (IANS) The Tripura government has unveiled an official logo for the state's tea to popularise the beverage and to promote the potentiality of tourism.

At an event here on Saturday, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said with the launch of the insignia, Tripura tea would be more popular across the country and abroad and it would also promote tourism.

The logo features Tripura's iconic landmark, the "Neermahal" which is the largest and one-of-its-kind water palace in India.

The palace located around 53 km west of Agartala, was built by then Tripura King Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman Manikya (1908-1947) in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake, as his summer residence.

Chairman of the Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd (TTDC) Santosh Saha said that the prospects of exporting tea from the state to countries including Bangladesh has brightened with the Chief Minister taking up the issue with Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Bangladesh's Srimangal tea auction centre is only 5 km from northern Tripura's main city of Kailashahar.

"The Indian Chamber of Commerce has also taken up the matter with the Bangladesh government," Saha added.

He said that after Assam, Tripura is the second largest tea producing state in the northeast.

It produces about 10 million kg of tea annually with an area of 6,430 hectares under cultivation.

About 20,000 people are directly employed in the 54 big gardens in Tripura, with another 15,000 people involved in 230 small gardens contributing immensely to the growth of the state's overall economy.

Tripura started producing tea in 1916 at Hiracherra estate in Unakoti district.