Guwahati, May 22: After failing to either revive or sell off the loss-making gardens of the Assam Tea Corporation Ltd (ATCL), the Tarun Gogoi government has decided to lease out these properties for 25 years.
The chief minister had personally requested four tea majors to bail out the ATCL, but none of these wanted to buy the sick gardens.
A committee was constituted recently to ascertain the lease value and liabilities of all the gardens owned by the corporation.
Sources said the cumulative value of these 15 gardens was estimated at Rs 750 crore, while the liabilities had been pegged at Rs 120 crore.
A meeting of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc)?s legislature forum adopted a resolution recently to lease out the gardens for 25 years and communicated the decision to the chief minister.
Public works department minister Sarat Borkotoky, who is the chairman of the Assam branch of the organisation, presided over the meeting
Minister of state Etuwa Munda, who is also the convener of the Intuc legislature forum, today said Dispur was des- perate to find a solution to the problem.
He said the ATCL, with its mounting losses, had become a big burden for the government.
The meeting of the Intuc legislature forum formed a seven-member committee to look into the matter and submit a report by May 31.
The panel comprises two ATCL directors and representatives of tea workers? unions.
During the last session of the Assembly, the chief minister informed members that he had tried to convince tea majors to take over the loss-making gardens but none of these was willing to take on the liabilities.
Gogoi said he personally spoke to officials of Tata Tea, Williamson Magor, Hindustan Lever and Assam Tea Company, only to be rebuffed.
?It is mainly because the ATCL has been incurring losses for 18 consecutive years.?
The government is unable to initiate steps for revival of the corporation because financial institutions are reluctant to provide loans.
Munda said the Intuc legislature forum had been authorised by the government to devise a strategy to end the impasse.
?The industry department will come into the picture after the lease value and liabilities of gardens have been ascertained,? he said.
The minister said the forum had recommended distribution of rice under the below-poverty-line scheme among labourers in all ATCL gardens.