ASAMB to incur Rs 30-crore loss annually in post-GST

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 31: With the check gates of the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board (ASAMB) going to cease to operate from tonight, the Board is going to incur a huge annual loss of Rs 30 crore.
According to sources, in fiscal 2016-17 the income of the board was Rs 76,03,50,406, and this year before the closure of some of the check gates the income was rising up steadily. “However, after the closure of 23 check-gates following an order from the Chief Minister, its income has fallen drastically. The Board is going to receive a body blow from tonight when the most revenue earning Boxirhat and Srirampur check-gates are going to be closed,” the sources said, and added: “Rs 30-crore loss is a huge loss for us as we’ve to mage everything, including the salaries of over 1,100 employees, on our own.”
When asked on the annual loss of Rs 30 crore by the Board, its vice chairman Manoj Baruah said: “Soon after coming to power, this government has taken enough steps to make Assam free from corruption. As part of the drive, as many as 23 legally-run check-gates of the Board have been closed. I welcome the move as there was much corruption in the gates during the Congress regime. Though it was thought that the closure of check-gates would lead to huge loss in the form of cess it has been seen that under GST the State gets revenue in other forms. We’ve collected Rs 20 crore or 35 per cent more cess than last year. The collection cess in 2015-16 was Rs 56,32,07,855.”
Baruah further said: “We have had a meeting on the issue with the Chief Minister and the Fince Minister. They said that under the GST revenue would continue to come, and that they would give the ASAMB its due share of cess from the collection. The closure of the Srirampur and Boxirhat check-gates will lead to an initial problem to ascertain the destitions of loaded trucks. We’ve to put in place a new network to ascertain the destitions of the goods and their carriers. We’ve been charging one per cent cess in accordance with the Assam Agricutural Goods Marketing Act, 1972. Now under a Central Act, the fee will be charged under a new me. Dispur is drafting a new Bill – Assam Agricultural Goods and Livestock Marketing Act, 2017.”