Gauhati High Court disappointed at Dispur's approach on AGMC

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 11: The Gauhati High Court expressed disappointment at the approach of the Assam Government’s Handloom, Textiles and Sericulture Department as well as the Personnel Department. The two departments were justifying the appointment of Assam Government Marketing Corporation (AGMC) maging director by way of giving additiol charge to officers holding other substantive posts on the ground of its poor fincial condition.

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, while disposing of a writ petition (W.P.(C) No.6839/2014) upheld the notification dated December 15, 2014 issued by the Secretary to the Government of Assam, Personnel(A) Department by which Deepak Kumar Baruah, Joint Secretary to the Government of Assam, Department of Environment & Forests, was allowed to hold the additiol charge of AGMC in place of Monoranjan Dutta, Joint Secretary of Public Enterprises Department.

Expressing anguish, Justice Bhuyan observed in the judgment that “AGMC was incorporated in 1959 and is one of the oldest Government of Assam undertakings. It is indeed a sorry state of affairs that nobody appears to be bothered about the viability of AGMC. In the course of the deliberation it has been brought to the notice of the Court that there are a number of State Government outlets (emporia) both inside the State as well as outside it which are under the AGMC. State Government emporium is an introduction to the State or a minor of the State to the visitors or customers who come to the emporia. It has also been submitted that emporia of other States are doing reasobly good business in different parts of the country. If the other States can do good business in so far as their emporia are concerned, it is not understood why the AGMC cannot do a reasoble business when the State is famous for its handloom, textiles and other exquisite products. Is it enough to go on lamenting about the poor fincial condition of the AGMC and the ibility to pay salary and allowances to the Maging Director? Has any exercise been undertaken to examine the reasons for such decline? In their endeavour to highlight the limits of judicial review, none of the respondents has stated anything about revival of the AGMC. If the poor fincial condition is continuing since 1995, what steps the Department has taken or the AGMC has taken to tackle the situation though 20 years have gone by? There is definitely an element of public interest in ensuing that the State Government emporia located in different parts of the country, including in the tiol capital and within the State function properly so that they can showcase and market the rich heritage of the State. It is unfortute that respondents I and 2 failed to appreciate the enormity of the task and are just letting things drift.”

Senior advocate Bhaskar Dev Konwar, assisted by Rajeeb Kalita, who appeared for Deepak Kumar Baruah, the present Maging Director of AGMC, says the court is of the view that an effective intervention is necessary at the highest level of administration so that a sincere endeavour is made for reviving the AGMC to eble it to bring both glory and revenue to the State.

Accordingly, the court directed the Chief Secretary to examine the issue, if necessary, by constituting a committee of experts to explore the entire gamut of issues relating to revival of AGMC and thereafter, to take appropriate measures as per recommendation of the committee of experts.