Economy / Assam

SUTERKANDI (Karimganj), February 19: The opening of Rs 8.16 crore International Trade Centre at Suterkandi on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Karimganj district, is likely to change the socio-economic condition of entire Barak Valley as well as its neighbouring areas. This has been expressed by the people of Karimganj district while disclosing their views regarding the trade centre. The construction of the centre has already been started at the site. Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has laid its foundation stone ceremonially last week. It may be recalled that the Government of Assam sent a...

GUWAHATI, February 19: The total debt burden of Assam as on March 31, 2000 was Rs 8441.33 crore, said the Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in the State Assembly today. Replying to a question by Ardhendu Kumar Dey (Cong), the Chief Minister said that the debt of the State as on March 31, 1996 was Rs 5329.13 crore. Mahanta revealed that the total revenue collection from April, 1996 to March 31, 2000 was Rs 17524.94 crore against the target of Rs 19966.57 crore. He said that Rs 2317.79 was collected from sales tax, while Rs 297.75 was collected as agriculture income tax. During the period...

GUWAHATI, February 18: The Allahabad Bank with 58 branches in the State has been facing the music over non-recovery of loans to surrendred ULFA men to the tune of Rs 3.50 crore over the years, informed office-bearers of the local unit of the All India Allahabad Bank Officers' Association (AIABOA) which is affiliated to the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC). Addressing medipersons here yesterday, the office-bearers informed that recovery in this regard was almost nil putting a lot of strain on the management. As recovery measures quite a few suits have been filed against the State...

GUWAHATI, February 18: Assam need not be awestricken at the recent amendment effected by the Central Government to the 1984 Tea Marketing (Control) Order (TMCO), done to free the tea companies from the obligation of selling atleast 75 per cent of their products through the tea auction centres of the country, as in the long run this amendment will prove to be beneficial for the tea industry of the State as well as those operating in the country, said former corporate Vice-President of Williamson Magor Gautam Prasad Barua here. Barua, talking to The Assam Tribune, however, admitted that on a...

GUWAHATI, February 16: State Tourism Commissioner, Surajit Mitra today informed that there had been a steady rise in flow of domestic and foreign tourists to the State during the last three years. He informed that inflow of domestic tourists had registered a growth of 37 per cent during the same period indicating that the people were no longer bogged down by apprehension about disturbed situation in the State. He further informed that local investors had become more confident about market potential of tourism sector in the State saying that the department was receiving 'tremendous' offers from...

GUWAHATI, February 15: Guwahati Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) is gearing up to meet the cleaner fuel requirements of the country in the coming year by undergoing extensive modernisation of its plants and equipment. Sources in the Refinery informed that one of the most important projects currently under execution is the Hydrotreater Unit, at a cost of Rs 497 crore which will enable the refinery to live upto future quality specification of High Speed Diesel. Another such project, Indane Maximization Unit (INDMAX) is currently being executed at a cost of Rs 86 crore. On...

GUWAHATI, February 14: The Gauhati High Court, by an interim order, has directed the government of Assam and the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) to make a scheme to clear the outstanding arrear amount of Rs 654.21 crores due to the NEEPCO for supply of power to the state. A division bench, comprising Justice H K Sarma and Justice P G Agarwal passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Gautom Uzir regarding the threat by NEEPCO to curtail power supply to the state power grids. While the arrear amount of Rs 654.21 crore is due for the period from January 1997 to...

GUWAHATI, February 13: The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) has served a closure notice on the Digboi Refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation for violating pollution norms, according to PCBA sources here. According to the PCBA, the digboi Refinery, the oldest refinery in the country, has been releasing pollutants beyond permissible limit and the effluents released by the refinery through the Mission Para Nullah are also not maintained well, while the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for treating the water to make it pollution free leaves much to be desired. The closure notice was served on...

GUWAHATI, February 12: Majority of tea brokers operating in Guwahati are worried over the future of their business in the wake of amendment effected by the Union Ministry of Commerce to the Tea Marketing (Control) Order (TMCO), 1984, according liberty to tea companies to decide on their own whether to route their produce through registered public tea auction centres or go for private selling outside the auction centre. As per the TMCO, 1984 every registered tea manufacturer in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were required to sell not less than 75 per cent of the tea manufactured by...

GUWAHATI, February 12: The Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today presented a rs 1316.62 crore deficit budget for the year 2001-2002 in the State assembly. In the budget, Mahanta, who is also in charge of the finance department, proposed to introduce a film surcharge and to provide relief to the weavers to promote the handloom sector. As per the financial estimates for the year 2001-2002, the total receipts of the State Government for the year would be Rs 11,329.35 crore as against the expenditure of Rs 12,221.90 crore, leaving a deficit of Rs 892.55 crore. As the year will open with an...