Tea will be declared as national drink of India by April next year. This was stated by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at Jorhat in Assam today. He said this will be done to coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of first Assamese tea planter and Sepoy Mutiny leader Maniram Dewan.

He was addressing the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Assam Tea Planters Association.