GUWAHATI, July 28 ? The State Government has initiated steps for revival of the mill of the Assam Polyester Cooperative Society Limited (APOL) within the current financial year. This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Cooperation, Misbaul Islam Laskar in reply to a question by Pabindra Deka (Ind) in the State Assembly today.
The Minister told the House that mismanagement and financial constraint were two major reasons for the closure of the mill. He said that the State Government formed a three-member committee on July 4, 2002 to find out the reasons for the closure of the mill and to suggest measures for the reopening of the same. The committee has already submitted its report to the Government.
Laskar said that another committee comprising representatives of the Textile Ministry of the Government of India, State Government, NCDC, All India Federation of Spinning Mills and Assam Cooperative Apex Bank also examined the reasons for the closure of the APOL mill and suggested measures for its reopening. On the basis of the recommendations of the committees, the State Government has released an amount of 41,30,000 under the special Central assistance for the revival of the APOL and a new Board of Directors has been constituted. The new Board of Directors has started the process of reforms of the administration of the APOL.
The Minister said that steps have also been initiated to repay the loans taken by the APOL from different financial institutions and the Government has issued guarantee of Rs 300 lakh so that the APOL can take loans from banks and financial institutions to reopen the mill. Talks are on with the State Bank of India and UCO Bank in this regard, he added. He assured the House that all efforts would be made to reopen the mill within the current financial year.
Exchange of words: The State Assembly today witnessed a heated exchange of words between Transport Minister Anjan Dutta and AGP legislator Zoii Nath Sarma over the issue of leasing out of land belonging to the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) to Putul Gogoi, arrested in connection with crude oil theft.
Raising a question, Sarma alleged that the Transport Minister leased out land belonging to ASTC at Janji in Sivasagar district to Putil Gogoi.
However, the Transport Minister said that no land belonging to the ASTC was leased out in Sivasagar district and only some persons were allowed to use the ASTC land by taking rents. He said that tenders were invited for setting up of a dhaba at the ASTC stand at Janji and accordingly, one Rajen Gogoi was selected for the purpose. Rajen Gogoi later issued a power of attorney saying that Putul Gogoi would run the restaurant on his behalf. He also said that the ASTC has fixed a rent of Rs 10,000 per month for the restaurant.
Not satisfied with the Minister?s reply, Sarma continued to point accusing finger at the Minister and agitated by the allegations, Dutta levelled allegations of irregularities in land allotment when Sarma was the Revenue Minister. He alleged that Sarma allotted land in the name of Sarbamangalam, an NGO headed by the wife of a former Chief Minister and said that the NGO took Rs 25 lakh from Putul Gogoi for construction of its own building. He also accused Sarma of allotting land for his own institute.
Revenue: The Social Welfare Minister Gautam Roy, replying to a question by Khalilur Rahman Choudhury on behalf of the Revenue Department, said that the State Government earns land revenue amounting to Rs 2,57,02,319 from the tea gardens every year. He said that the State has 605 big tea gardens and they are occupying about 33,90,131 bighas of land. He said that Government takes land revenue amounting to Rs 12 per bigha of land in the Brahmaputra valley and Rs nine per bigha in the Barak valley.