GUWAHATI, May 20? Tea gardens are encroaching upon more than 25,000 bighas of government land, resulting in huge loss of revenue to the State Government, said the Minister in charge of Finance, Revenue and Power, Sri Devanand Konwar. Addressing a press conference here today, Sri Konwar revealed that the Government has taken a decision to regularise the encroachment by giving settlement to the concerned gardens with the payment of a premium, which would be 200 per cent more than the assessed market value. He said that some big tea companies have already come forward to take settlement of the land as per the Government?s proposal.
Sri Konwar expressed the view that though the land revenue rate for tea gardens was reviewed in 1998, the rates are still not enough. At present the gardens have to pay land revenue of Rs 12 per bigha per year in the Brahmaputra Valley and Rs 9 in the Barak Valley. He expressed the view that as the gardens are using the land for commercial purpose, the minimum land revenue should be Rs 25 per bigha. He also revealed that according to an estimate, the Government would gain Rs 20 crore from premium for settlement by giving permanent settlement of the encroached land to the gardens.
The Minister informed media persons that a proposal has been mooted to increase the land revenue rate in the residential areas also. As per the proposal the new revenue rates for Guwahati city would be between Rs 250 and Rs 600 per bigha in residential areas, between Rs 600 and Rs 4,000 in industrial areas and between Rs 100 and Rs 300 in other areas. The Minister also revealed that the Central Government had sanctioned Rs 1.82 crore for computerisation of the land records. He asserted that the Government would give top priority to land acquisition for major projects like construction of the approach roads to the Bogibeel bridge, Gas cracker project etc.
Power : Sri Konwar disclosed that a voluntary retirement scheme will be introduced soon in the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) and in the first phase, 200 persons would get voluntary retirement. He admitted that the ASEB, which has about 18,500 employees, is overstated and as the Board produces only about 100 MW of power against the installed capacity of 575 MW, the plant load factor is only 15 per cent, compared to the national average of 53 per cent. He pointed out that Tata power generates 600 MW of power in Mumbai with a staff strength of only 7,000.
The Minister said that though the ASEB had failed to generate adequate power, the overall power availability in the North-Eastern region was very good. He revealed that the total power availability in the region is 2001 MW which is much more than the requirement. However, he admitted that to ensure quality power supply, the transmission and distribution network must be improved and the Central Government has already sanctioned Rs 30 crore for the purpose.
Sri Konwar said that the ASEB now owes Rs 1300 crore to the central power generating PSUs and a securitisation package has been mooted by the centre. However, as per the package, the current dues would have to be paid regularly and for that the ASEB would have to improve collection of revenue. He said that a Power Regulatory Commission had already been formed to decide the power tariff.