STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: After much thought, the Assam Government has decided to lease out 12 of the 15 tea gardens of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL), a State-owned PSU which has been incurring heavy losses for many years. The government has already floated the lease tender.
The 15 tea gardens under ATCL have been incurring losses amounting to crores of rupees every year. The liabilities of these tea gardens, including PF and gratuity of the employees and labourers, have piled up over the years and now stand at several crores of rupees. Several attempts had been made by the government to revamp the tea gardens but all such attempts proved unsuccessful. Finally, the government has decided to lease out 12 tea gardens for a long term. The government will retain the ownership rights of the tea gardens, only the management will be leased out.
The 12 tea gardens to be leased out are Amluckie, Deejuvalley, Loongssong, Sycotta, Naginijan, Messamara, Rungamatty, Negheriting, Rajabarie, Deepling, Longai and Ishabheel tea gardens. Out of the remaining three tea gardens, Bholaguri tea garden in the Biswanath Charliali district and Cinnamara in the Jorhat district will be developed as heritage properties while Bidyanagar tea garden in Barak Valley will continue functioning.
Talking to The Sentinel, ATCL chairman Rajdeep Gowala said, "Assam Tea Corporation has been a loss-making PSU. Attempts to revive the fortunes of the tea gardens did not yield the desired results. So finally the government has decided to lease out 12 tea gardens for 30 years. The lease tender has been floated and the private parties which fulfil all criteria mentioned in the tender and make the highest bid will win the tender."
He said that there was some confusion among the garden employees and labourers. Allaying their fears and confusion, Gowala said, "The tea gardens are only being leased out, not sold. The government will continue to own the tea gardens and it will ensure that their interests do not suffer."
He further said that the government had released a fund amounting to Rs 142.52 crore to pay the pending PF and gratuity of the workers and employees. "The remaining liabilities of the workers will be cleared phase-wise," he added.
The ATCL chairman said that before floating the tender, the government had hired the services of Deloitte Consulting India Private Limited to prepare the valuation proposal for the 12 tea gardens. The number of workers and employees of the 15 tea gardens under ATCL stands at around 15,000.
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