Assam Company denies AATTSA's allegations

We, Assam Company India Limited, draw your attention to the captioned Article.

We emphatically state that the contents of the impugned article are ex-facie false & frivolous. Hence, we issue this letter clarifying our position hereunder:

1. We are shocked and surprised to read the said article as the same contains several false and baseless averments. No efforts to ascertain the true and correct facts and/or to verify the contents! averments in the impugned article have been made by you.

2. Upon perusal of the impugned article, the following glaring factual informalities, amongst others, can be noticed:

(a) Assam Company India Limited has taken every step for the welfare of the workers of the tea estates. Since the same being an ongoing process, the need of the workers as and when arises is being taken care by the Management of the Company keeping the Workers Union in loop during the whole process. The statement that no steps have been taken by the Company is manifestly wrong and has been made to stir up unnecessary controversy & agitation.

(b) We categorically states that for the welfare of the all the workforce of the estates including the temporary labourers we are committed to achieve the optimum development keeping all the stakeholders fully aware of the workings of the company.

(c) The article further incorrectly states that Provident Fund of the employees & labourers amounting to Rs. 1,79,29,43,954/- has remain unpaid since 2014. The said statement is false, incorrect and contrary to the facts. Be it mentioned that Assam Company India Limited has deposited all the Provident Fund as required under the law.

(d) A further unsubstantiated statement as regard to Mr. Preetham Melantha has been published wherein it has been alleged that he has tried to sell the tea estates' land part by part by forming a special committee. Further it has been alleged that Mr. Preetham Melantha has hatched a conspiracy to dupe OIL claiming a big amount of compensation against those labourers of Bagjan area of Digulturrung Tea Estate who has suffered in the OIL's fire at Bagjan.

The said allegation is not only false and farfetched but is a futile attempt of character assassination of a senior executive of the Company.Be it mentioned that no part of the tea estates has been sold neither any committee has been formed for effecting any such sale. The allegation of duping OIL is imaginative & far from ground reality.

It is apparent & patently clear that before including this in your impugned article, you did not choose it to be wise to seek any confirmation in this effect from our company, which action is legitimately expected from a newspaper of your stature.

3. From the perusal of the afore stated, it is evident that a patently false and baseless article, which is divorced from true and correct facts, have been published without taking into consideration our point of view in this.

4. You are hereby requested to publish the true and correct facts as stated above on your newspaper with the same prominence with which you had published the impugned article.

5. The copy of the published Article attached herewith for your reference.

- Somshankar Dasgupta,

Chief Financial Officer,

Assam Company India Limited