Assam Cabinet Approved Proposal for Township on Hindustan Paper Corp Land in Morigaon

GG News Bureau

Guwahati, 20th Dec. The Assam cabinet approved a proposal to develop a township on 550 acres of land acquired by the state government in March from the defunct Hindustan Paper Corp in Morigaon district near Guwahati.

Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah told the press after a cabinet meeting on Monday that the council of ministers also approved a proposal to grant tourism industry status, allowing businesses to take advantage of incentives provided by the state industrial policy.

According to Baruah, the land in Jagiroad will be developed as a Guwahati satellite township.

“The township will be set up on 550 acres of land following discussions with the local people but the preliminary decision for a satellite town was taken at today’s meeting,” he said.

The Assam government announced on March 28 the acquisition of two defunct paper mills in the state by public sector undertaking (PSU) Hindustan Paper Corp (HPC) for Rs 375 crore.

The Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) won the bids for the units in Morigaon’s Jagiroad and Hailakandi’s Panchgram.

HPC’s Panchgram unit ceased operations on October 20, 2015, and the Jagiroad mill ceased operations on March 31, 2017. No salary was paid to the staff of the two units since January and March of 2017, respectively.

The Assam cabinet approved a Rs 700-crore relief package for the two paper mills on September 30, last year. The major portion of this amount would be spent to pay the dues of the employees, while some would be used to pay bills such as electricity charges, the government had then said.

The combined land area of both paper mills is approximately 1,550 acres.

Heritage hotels, bungalows, camping grounds, restaurants, amusement parks, ropeways, and adventure parks will benefit from increased benefits now that the tourism sector has been granted industry status, according to Tourism Minister Baruah.

“The industry status will lead to a paradigm shift in the tourism-based economy. It will bring in ample private investments as the new status will facilitate incentives, subsidies and reimbursements, among others, creating new employment opportunities,” he said.

Earlier hotels and resorts above three-star category and river cruises were included under the thrust areas of Assam Industrial Policy, he said.

The cabinet also decided to repeal nine laws that are no longer relevant or obsolete.

“The decision was taken in the interest of ease of doing business and improving ease of living,” Baruah said.

The state cabinet also approved two new bills, which will be introduced in the assembly session that will begin on Tuesday.

The Assam Shops and Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2022 aims at eliminating licensing bureaucracy and improving working conditions, creating more employment opportunities and providing a favorable environment for doing business, the minister said.

The Assam Transport Workers’ Social Security Scheme, 2022 will provide social security to motor transport workers against injury, physical disability and major diseases, and educational help to their children, among others, he said.