Fresh move to lease out Assam Tea Corporation Ltd gardens

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government has started a fresh move to lease out its loss-making ATCL (Assam Tea Corporation Ltd) gardens. The previous government in the state also tried to lease out the ATCL gardens or disinvest them but failed.

According to sources, the present government has identified reasons why the earlier move to lease out the ATCL gardens failed. The government has taken views from experts to make the leasing-out process hassle-free without affecting the interests of garden workers.

A senior official of the Industries and Commerce Department said, "At present, the income of ATCL gardens is so less that the State Government has to bear 50 per cent for salaries, wages etc. ATCL needs around Rs 100 crore annually for salaries and wages. It has over Rs, 500 crore dues in the form of PF, gratuity etc. ATCL owes the government around Rs 600 crore taken earlier."

According to sources, 15 ATCL gardens like Amluckie, Deejuvalley, Naginijan, Chinamara etc., have around 16,000 workers and staff. The government aims to secure the life of these workers in the leasing-out process. The State Government has aligned its decision with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on disinvestment that 'the government has no business to be in business'.

ATCL was formed in 1972. In the early stage, it was a profit-making entity. It failed to make a profit gradually for various reasons. IAS officer Subhash Chandra Das led committee did recommend measures for the revival of ATCL. A ministerial sub-committee also recommended measures for its revival. All moves failed to revive it.

From 2001 to 2004, negotiations had been going on with various parties for the disinvestment of the ATCL gardens. The move, however, failed as no party was keen to strike a deal with the loss-making gardens.

An assessment by the authority concerned found that (i) the workforce of the ATCL gardens is more than their landed areas, (ii) lack of work culture, (iii) plantation of new tea buses at a regular interval of time not given due importance, (iv) frequent transfer of ATCL MD, (v) lack of attention from ATCL management to gardens led to frustration among the workers, etc.

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