Industries default, land revenue dues pile up

The defaulters in the five districts include 38 tea gardens

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Jan 17: Industrial units, including tea gardens, are not only encroaching government land in Assam but have also been irregular in paying land revenue.

Thanks to a somnolent administration, the list of industries defaulting on land revenue is piling up, so are the outstanding amounts.

In five districts of the State, tea gardens, oil companies and other industries have an outstanding amount of Rs 5.35 crore as on December, 2015, that is to be paid to the State government as land revenue.

The revenue is paid against the myadi patta land under the respective industrial units.

The defaulters in the five districts include 38 tea gardens.

Hatikhuli Tea Estate of Golaghat district has an outstanding amount of Rs 40.88 lakh, followed by Chorgola TE and Longai TE of Karimganj district with Rs 29.02 lakh and Rs 24.12 lakh respectively. Other major defaulters are Dolahat TE of Lakhimpur (Rs 23.38 lakh), Pathini TE of Karimganj (Rs 21.32 lakh), Gombira TE of Karimgaj (Rs 24.45 lakh) and Singlacherra TE of Karimganj (Rs 23.4 lakh).

According to the latest notification, land revenue of tea land per bigha is Rs 30 per year in Brahmaputra Valley and Rs 25 in Barak Valley.

Oil India Pipeline (Golaghat district) has an outstanding amount of Rs 1.53 lakh, while Numaligarh Refinery Limited has to pay dues of Rs 13.89 lakh.

The outstanding amounts due from industries in Kamrup metropolitan district is to the tune of over Rs 2.69 crore.