Move to set up International Agar Trade Centre & NRL's expansion project opposed

A Correspondent

Golaghat: The tea garden families and local villagers of Dabidubi area under Golaghat district have strongly opposed the laying of foundation stone and bhumi pujan by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on October 21 at Dabidubi in Golaghat district.

The tea garden families of Korunating Tea Estate and local villagers have opposed occupying 656 bigha land of Swahid Kushal Konwar Samabay Sutakol Ltd. for setting up the International Agar Trade Centre and NRL's expansion project at Dabidubi in the district. In this regard, a public petition was submitted at the Deputy Commissioner's office opposing the setting up of the International Agar Trade Centre and NRL's expansion project at Dabidubi before fulfilling the local people's demand.

In the petition, it was stated that in the year 1979, the Government of Assam forcefully occupied 656 bighas of land of the villagers for setting up the Swahid Kushal Konwar Samabay Sutakol Ltd. The villagers were compelled to give up their agricultural land to the government. But the government paid no compensation to the villagers against the occupied land. The villagers then staged protest but the government ignored the protest and started the construction activities. After one of the protesters lost his life during the agitation, the government was compelled to stop the project for six months. Few years later, the Swahid Kushal Konwar Samabay Sutakol Ltd was completely shut down and the government was not able to revive it.

The Assam Government has repeated history by ignoring the demands of the tea garden families and local villagers of Dabidubi area. Along with the construction project for NRL's expansion, the Assam Government is planning to set up an International Agar Trade Centre at Dabidubi with an estimated amount of Rs 10.23 crore.

The assistant general secretary of the All Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association (AATTSA), Jagdish Baraik said that the tea garden families had been deprived by the Assam Government. He said that as the Assam Government had occupied a huge area of Korunating Tea Estate for construction of the International Agar Trade Centre and NRL's expansion project, the garden labourers would become workless. The AATTSA demanded assurance from the Assam Government before the foundation stone-laying programme and bhumi pujan, that tea garden youths would be given preference in employment matters.

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