A CORRESPONDENT
Silchar: The Assam Tea Corporation (ATC) had finally decided to sell off the Ichhabil and Longai tea estates of Karimganj. Confirming the report, the ATC chairman, Rajdeep Goala, said they had floated tenders for selling off these two sick tea estates a few days back. Goala said, as per the government decision, the ATC had sought bidders to take over tea gardens under its purview last year. But no private party had come forward for these two sick tea gardens of Karimganj district. “Rather, some parties have approached to purchase the gardens instead of taking over on lease, and hence the government has decided to sell these off,” Goala added. He further said that both of these two gardens, with more than 1000 labourers in each one, were running on huge losses.
There were altogether 15 tea estates in the state being run by the ATC, and none of these were profit-generating. The state government had decided to lease out these gardens except Dewan Tea Estate, which was being developed as a heritage tea garden owing to its founder, the great freedom fighter Maniram Dewan. Further, instead of leasing out the Bholagiri tea estate, a small garden, the proposed Kanaklata University was now being set up there. On the other hand, the private companies that had taken Aamlooki, Sycotta, and Bipling tea estates on lease had already come out of the contract and handed back these gardens to the ATC again.
Goala said the ATC was running the management of Bidyanagar TE of the Barak Valley as the garden saw a critical legal fight over the heirship issue following the death of the original proprietor. However, after the case was solved in the High Court, the ATC had pulled itself off from the management of the Bidyanagar TE.
Also read: Leasing of tea gardens under Assam Tea Corporation opposed (sentinelassam.com)
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