STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: ATCL (Assam Tea Corporation Ltd) leased out three of its 15 tea gardens to a private party on January 1, 2023. It has also finalized the lease deeds of two other gardens of Jorhat with Jalinga Tea Company of Kolkata.
According to sources, ATCL leases out its gardens for 30 years. The leasing out process of five other gardens lands in the court as two bidders moved the court against the ATCL's leasing out process. ATCL has called retender for two of its gardens in the Karimganj district.
ATCL will not lease out three – Chinamara, Bholaguri and Bidyanagar – of its 15 tea gardens. While Chinamara is the first tea estate set up by Maniram Dewan, Bholaguri has connections to Jyotiprasad Agarwalla's first Assamese film 'Joymati', and Bidyanagar Tea Estate has a pending litigation.
According to official sources, on January 1, ATCL handed over its Amluckie, Loongssong and Deejuvalley in the Nagaon district to Bokahola Tea Estate of Jorhat.
According to official sources, the ATCL gardens have a liability amounting to around Rs 350 crore for principals and interests of Provident Fund and Gratuity. The Chief Minister assured the lessees that the State Government would clear the liabilities by August this year in phases. The workforce comprising labourers and staff of the ATCL gardens is around 16,000.
The companies taking ATCL gardens on lease will pay ATCL a floor amount for confirmation and keep paying an amount per kg of made tea at a rate. According to sources, leasing out of ATCL gardens is possible following initiatives taken by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is of the opinion that delay in the leasing out process will increase the burden of liabilities of workers' dues on the ATCL.
Formed in 1972, ATCL had 15 loss-making gardens — Amluckie, Loongssong, Deejuvalley, Sycotta, Naginijan, Rungamatty, Meessamara, Negheriting, Deeplin, Rajabarie, Longai, Ishabheel, Bholaguri, Chinamara and Bidyanagar.
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