Certain aspects of the Assam movement seem to have been neglected in the Left political and intellectual circles. Statistics are notoriously vulnerable to empiricist misuse, and this note, therefore, deliberately refrains from quoting some telling figures. It rather seeks to raise relevant logical questions and suggest appropriate historical perspectives. It is believed that a proper consideration of such questions will help in orienting the Left to problems of Assamese society.

(1) Present-day Assam roughly covers the area ruled by three 'native' races of Assam - the Bodos, the Ahoms and the Koches. All three of them, especially the ruling houses, were more or less Hinduised, and they consciously identified themselves with historic Kamarupa. They not only fought each other continually, but interacted with each other. They were other continually, but interacted with each other. They were patrons of a culture that has historically developed into Assamese culture, and under their aegis an Assamese nationality had also developed over the ages. Another powerful unifying factor had been the great medieval Vaishnava movement , which created the institutional framework for assimilating masses of tribal people into the mainstream Assamese society.

But it has remained a 'weak' nationality, because, apart from tea plantations, the society remained largely untouched by forces of modern capitalism down to the 1950's. And plantations notoriously are enterprises of the 'enclave' type, and do not trigger development. The different ethnic groups owing allegiance to the overall Assamese way of life were not welded into a cohesive national group strong enough to be able to withstand outside pressure. There have been cases of defection or dissociation, especially in the recent past. It is also a weak nationality in the sense that it is materially and culturally backward compared to some other national groups in India. Lately it has occurred to the Assamese that they are not even in undisputed possession of the territory which they claims as their own.

Hence there is a sense of insecurity among the Assamese which is deep-rooted. Their fear of being overwhelmed is a powerful factor, and the Left circles will to take it seriously.

(2) The fear is compounded by the memory of real peril in the recent past. The colonial authorities had imposed Bengali as the official language of the province in schools and law courts. The myth of a Bengali conspiracy behind that decision has now been effectively demolished by the unearthing of relevant official documents. But the fact remains that Assamese could be restored only after decades of struggle by the educated Assamese. The colonial authorities had also tagged on large chucks of Bengalis and Assamese, to the chagrin of both Bengalis and Assamese, and encouraged a vicious valley-politics to keep two communities at each other's throat. Again, in the early decades of this century the colonial authorities began to encourage mass migration of poor and land-hungry peasants from the eastern districts of Bengal (now in Bangladesh) in tens of thousands. Their idea of course was to have the benefits of agricultural development and intensive use of the land-resources without spending a single farthing. The powerful Assamese landed families kept quiet because it also promised a sizable increase in their income and property. Like the immigrant tea garden labourers these peasants were also treated by the colonial government like cattle. Nor did the landed families come to their rescue. Thus the field was fertile among those distressed peasants for rabid communal propaganda. Meanwhile, the Civil Disobedience Movement of the 1930's had floundered, and its growing frustrations strengthened the appeal of communal forces all over the country. This aroused intense nervousness among the indigenous peasantry and the middle-class of Assam. In the 1940's the Muslim League ministry of Assam, aided and abetted by the British government, made a determined bid to increase the proportion of Muslims in Assam through immigration under the camouflage of 'Grow More Food' campaign. Now, even the landed families joined the chorus against the immigrants. Typically, a section of the British officers also appeared in the role of champions of the Assamese, and the Census Commissioner for Assam in 1931 permitted himself flights of encroachers'. The national leadership of the Congress decided to ignore Assamese fears and anxieties in their anxiety to appear secular. The movement against 'Grouping' in Assam before independence was quite strong. Following independence a powerful section of the Calcutta press carried on a senseless but bitter campaign against the acquisition of separate High Court and university by Assam. Such facts have generated a kind of 'siege mentality'.

After independence Assamese chauvinism also grew at a fast pace, with the connivance and under the active patronage of the ruling classes in Delhi and Shillong. Assamese chauvinism tries to get results- the exclusive enjoyment of financial and other benefits of the State government by a small and privileged section of the Assamese Hindus- by playing on those fears and anxieties of the Assamese masses. But it is a mistake to confound those fears with chauvinism.

(3) Having failed to weld a strong Assamese nationality out of the heterogeneous ethnic groups, especially the latecomers, and that too mainly because it refused to share the fruits of development with them following independence, the Assamese middle-class is seeing everywhere around it signs of incipient revolt. The revolt is likely to take the form of ethnic separatism. Hence, it is trying desperately to assert its hegemony by whipping up traditional fears. For a year or so before the movement, the Assamese press had been hysterical with reports of huge influx of Bangladesh is and their assorted crimes. For reasons that merit some investigation, at about the same time a 'sober' and 'cultured' newspaper in Calcutta with a readership in Assam published a serious of detailed, 'factual' reports on how the indigenous people of Tripura and Sikkim had been overwhelmed by a flood of outsiders. (One may wonder if such dangers have now appear no more concerned about the fact of the indigenous people of those two states, The real secret behind such mindless ecstasies was whispered in the elegant drawing rooms of the well-to-do Assamese families of towns: if the Muslims and other groups team up and reduced the Assamese Hindu legislators to a minority in the Assembly, how will it be possible for the latter to retain the lion's share of the loot from the state? But the explicit propaganda reiterates the time-honoured call: Assam is in danger. There is a more sophisticated slogan for the vain intellectual: our cultural identity has been threatened.

The Left is quite justified in holding in disdain the managers of this sanguinary farce. But not, I am afraid, in ignoring the sentiments of the Assamese masses. In the competitive capitalist environment of our country the Assamese petit bourgeois sees nothing monstrous in the idea that a race or nation can thrive only at the expense of other races or nations. Even the peasantry, dependent for bare subsistence on land and land alone, is fearful at the rate land seems to have passed into the hands of the 'outsiders'. They cannot be expected to know of the deals that their present leaders had struck over their own heads with the leaders of those outsiders in the not-so-recent part. This kind of perception is given an intoxicating quality by the rhetoric of nationalism. Assam, it is felt deeply and strongly, does not deserve to be dominated by people bearing an alien culture.

The Left can scarcely agree to a programme of massive deportation or disfranchisement . But it is not clear how far it can go in allaying Assamese fears of becoming strangers in their own home. Does it support assimilation ? If so, to what extent ? Recently a Leftist youth leader from Delhi argued with me that assimilation should be only to the extent of command over the Assamese language for practical purpose and no more. That is a concession that would hardly register with the average Assamese. While assimilation must not mean a subject status for the immigrants, and while the process should be made more humane, it certainly needs to be speeded up with administration measures. Otherwise the Left will be a party to the silent decision to dissolve Assam and the Assamese. It is not so widely known outside Assam that the various Congress ministers in Assam had fostered in the 30 and more years after independence a certain kind of Muslim separatism. Children of immigrant Muslims in some villages do not attend High Schools, but High Madrassas, staffed in part by teachers from outside the state cultivating a separate Islamic identity. Thus under the banner of secularism the Congress has nurtured Muslim exclusiveness in Assam, in order to ensure block votes from that community. Should such divisive policies be allowed to thrive ? (This is by means the same as denying the right of Muslims to study their religious and cultural heritage as part of education). If the Left endorses such policies, it will permanently insulate itself against Assamese sympathies, and push the Assamese into the arms of the secessionist forces. This policy also ensures the return of Congress (I) to power on the basis of combined minority votes. Indeed, certain Congress (I) circles are openly speaking of turning Assam into a federation of small states, each with its own language. That is the last straw for many a patient Assamese.

(4) While the Left is duty-bound to expose and resist the vile Fascist plots to tyrannise or enslave the minorities, and the various undemocratic demands of the movement, it cannot question the legitimacy of the issue that has been raised. Efforts ought to be made to restrict or control immigration. Further, no foreigner has a right to settle in a country without the free consent of the natives of that country. But the apparent detachment of the Left to such issues creates the misleading impression that it is unconcerned about those issues themselves, which for reasons stated above, have agitated the Assamese common people. Since the Left further views the movement as a CIA inspired campaign confirmed to a small section of the Assamese, it is led to the verge of support for various draconian measures taken by the government, and the indiscriminate retaliatory violence of the C.R.P. While in the early stages the Army and the CRP were deployed strictly in order marked by a political design. It appears that when movement becomes weaker, and saner opinion tends to gain ground , the extend of limited if genuine self-criticism in the Assamese press, the CRP is suddenly unleashed on innocent people to dispell that mood and provoke a mood of black anger and irrational hatred among the Assamese. This can hardly be a mere coincidence.

I think it will not do at all to dismiss the entire movement as a secessionist conspiracy. The Left should try to play a mediatory role in all sincerity by going to the people and trying to understand their fears and grievances. Haughty aloofness irritates and alienates. Even if the efforts to mediate eventually fail, those will at least deliver the Left from its present isolation from the vast majority of the Assamese. These might also have helped to isolate the Fascists among the leadership of the movement.

(5) All acts of violence and sabotage have been branded a as 'secessionist' by the government. There is not the slightest doubt that these are monstrous acts of cruelty and outage. But not all of them are calculated to pave the way for secession. Certain misguided elements in the movement consider them the only answer to the government's repressive measures. These terrorise the minorities and democratic people far more than the government, which remains unshaken. Those groups are actually being treated as hostages by fanatics within the movement. The government's failure to establish rapport with the Assamese people, and its reliance on repression as the most effective method of dealing with the movement is an open secret now. But if the Left indulges in the same kind of mudslinging it will hardly help to create a bridge of understanding . Of course this is not to advocate indulgence to the culprits.

(6) If national forces are in decline in India, as is sometimes asserted in Left circles, what accounts for the breadth and depth of popular participation in various movements organised by the Assamese middle-class around national issues like boundaries of the state, the official language policy, and regional underdevelopment (e.g. in the Oil Refinery movement )? Has the Left been able to organise similar mass movements in the state around issues like high prices? Don't we need to learn a lesson from that ? Does it necessarily mean a surrender to chauvinism and reaction ?

Though this is the first time that I have spelt out these reservations openly, this does not mean a fundamental shift in my stand, for such criticism has been quite implicit in the articles on Assam I have been writing since 1973. The intention is not so much to discredit the Left , for the Left rendered a yeoman's services to the cause of democracy and secularism in the last three years in Assam, as to plead for an orientation to the concrete realities.

POST_SCRIPT : I do not believe that the present movement can be called a genuine national movement in the Marxist sense. But it certainly derives its strength from unresolved national issues.

Dr. Hiren Gohain 

'I won't bow down before any political pressure' 

Privatization or Active community involvement - which can ensure viability of water supply schemes? The experts opinion is however, sharply divided on this. A section of them feels it is only through privatization the financial viability of urban and rural water supply schemes can be assured. Another group feels participation of users in planning and maintenance of their own water supply projects, can give better results.

Assam Public Health Engineering Minister, Dinesh Prasad Goala, thinks it's right time now to examine the financial aspects of urban and rural water supply schemes in Assam, most of which are running in heavy losses.

He says water supply schemes have already been started in various parts of the State but poor maintenance and operation are posing threats to them. Financial constraint is a hurdle as water tariff charged from the people is very low, he points out.

Emphasizing the need for community participation, Goala says, the Central government has also stressed on the involvement of local people in operation and management of water supply projects as it is not possible for the government to run those schemes on its own.

Admitting carelessness on the part of public health engineering department, Goala states: an awareness should be created among the public regarding the supply of pure drinking water. "An approachable tariff and a sense of self-responsibility can guarantee supply of water in proper time," he viewed.

Expressing doubts over the long term existence of water supply schemes in the State, Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board Managing Director Himangshu Sarkar, says the revenue collection is very less and maintenance cost is much higher. "Water taxes are not sufficient to meet the generating and distribution cost and the rising revenue gap becomes the burden of the State government."

In fact, the World Bank has also expressed doubts over the sustainability of water supply schemes in the States of Maharastra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, due to poor management and operation.

Pointing out the financial viability of water supply schemes in the State has not been achieved till date, Sarkar informs that people at large do not bother to pay for the services as they treat water as a 'free commodity' and want to get it free of cost.

Since 1989, when the urban water supply scheme was been started in the State, a large section of people do not bother to take advantage of water supply connections as because underground water is easily available in Assam.

Accepting the fact that poor economic condition of the people is a hurdle standing in the way of success of these water supply schemes, Sarkar says, out of 78 towns in Assam, where water supply schemes are being run, 54 have a population-base of less than 20,000 with rural background, where health consciousness is not prevalent to a large extent.

He however, agrees that the funds allocated by the State government for this purpose is also meagre as it comes only two to three percent of the total budget allocation.

Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Chief Engineer (water supply), Sarath Bezbarua, views that private sector participation is the only solution to make the water supply schemes economically viable.

He says for survival of water supply schemes a comprehensive pricing policy, covering all sorts of cost, should be introduced. Favouring induction of 'registration fee', Bezbaruah says commercial activities associated in this regard cannot be ignored and to reduce transmission and distribution losses, users should be charged a non-refundable amount of registration fee.

D Bhattacharjee, Director (HRD), State Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, suggests setting-up of users committee through community participation at the local level and says involvement of users in the operation and maintenance of water supply projects can ensure financial viability.

The most interesting fact was revealed by A B Paul, additional Chief Engineer, PHE. He says unlike electricity, for which people are always ready to pay, water is being seen as a 'gift of nature.'

Pointing out the basic difference between power and water supply, Paul says, when the electricity services were first started in Chicago city 200-year back, no-body wanted to use it free but the day a human being borns in this earth he sees water abounds every where. "It's not ability to pay but willingness to pay which acts as a barrier in revenue generation," he views.

Paul informs that the market price of water produced by the State PHE department every year stands at around Rs. 85 crore and at present 180 pipe water supply schemes are being run in the State.

Citing examples from a survey report he said 60 per cent of the users take water at home against payments in Barak Valley. "The only thing they demand is - guaranteed supply of water."

He further informs in Jorhat, where the scheme was introduced in 1994, and presently has 40 lakh house connections - no defaulter is found till date.

However, Indian Water Works Association president, BK Bhasale when contracted, says the situation like 'cost-revenue gap' is same in every State of India. He accuses the local governing bodies - municipalities, town committees and panchayats - of not paying back the revenues collected from the users to the producers.

All experts are of the view that in order to ensure sustainability of supply schemes in Assam 'water' should be treated as an 'economic wealth'. An expert also suggests introduction of paid services for purified water and free services for non-purified supply. 

Corruption can be checked, it can't be eliminated: GP Baruah

State small tea growers yet to get patta land in Assam

Despite tremendous development potential of small tea growers in the State, the small tea growers are facing a plethora of problems. Very few of them have patta plots of land. So, they face a lot of problems in obtaining bank loan.

Talking to this reporter, Mr. Gautam Prasad Baruah, a city-based business strategist and economist, said that small tea growers can usher in a new era in the tea industry of the State.

Mr. Baruah has suggested the State Government to allot patta to the cropland of the small tea growers so that they can avail bank loan easily.

Regarding the quality of the tea brands of Assam he stated that, the producers are yet to improve the quality of the brands.

"Flavour and strength of liquor of Assam should be improved to earn better price. The quality of tea should be upgraded by availing better field practices," he said.

In view of the open market policy, Sri Lankan and African tea brands are gaining ground. To place with the high degree of competition in the international market, Indian tea industry captains should update their marketing strategy in order to widen the market share.

"In fact, the price of Lankan and African tea brands are lower than that of Indian ones. The reason is not far to seek. The cost of production of Indian brands is higher than Lankan and African brands. India adopts labour-intensive technology in the production of tea brands while the African and Lankan tea industry barons use capital-intensive technique in the production. As a result, the cost of tea production is higher in India than Africa and Sri Lanka," Mr. Baruah stated.

Apart from the development possibilities, Mr. Baruah also averred his views over the economic gloom of the State. He has advocated drastic economic reforms in order to revive the State economy as a whole. According to him, local investors and entrepreneurs should come forward to set up production units to revitalize the State. "We should not look for outside investors all the time. Outside investors fear to come to Assam for prevailing disturbed law and order situation. Only the local investors are to pave the way to rapid development of the State," he remarked.

He said, "The State Government should reduce expenditure. How it will cut expenditure it is up to the government. Downsizing the employees may be one of the important reform measure. Today, the State has about 5 lakh employees as against 2.60 lakh staff in 1985-86 which marked 70 percent increase during the period. However, the services aspect of the State Govt. Employees has not improve. Does it help our tax-payers?"

On the dismal scene of fiscal health of the State he quipped, "About 80 percent of the total revenue is spent on the payment of staff salaries and maintaining administration, 15 percent revenue is spent in the repayment of debt and only 5 percent remained for development activities."

Commenting on 'corruption issue' he said, "Corruption has become a way of life. The valuable subject 'Moral Studies' should be reintroduced at the primary and secondary levels."

Accordingly, Mr. Baruah informed that, he had urged Mr. N Vittal, Vigilance Commissioner, during a recent meeting to write to all the school level to root out vexed problem of graft practices in different fields.

"Corruption and prostitution are two phenomena in human civilization. These two elements cannot be eliminated, but can be controlled, to some extent. External vigilance is the price of liberty, said W Wilson, so, if you want to reduce corruption, you are to revise vigilance," he added. 

While the State is facing a scanty monsoon rainfall, the Department of Agriculture has chalked out contingency plans to check possible ravages of flood in the months to come. Though the farmers are currently working hard in their cropland yet they seem to pass through an uncertain future as after delayed monsoon floods collapse crops every year in the State. Now, the question is : How far the contingency plans of the Agricultural department will be able to help the poor farmers in the State ?

"Flood is a regular feature in Assam during May to September. It affects an area of about 3 to 5 lakh hectares of land under cultivation depending on magnitude. The year 1999 was marked by an unusual drought like situation which prevailed from November 1998 till 3rd week of April 1999. The unusual drought like situation spread over a period of almost 6 months, damaged standing crops and drastically reduced the yield to 40% to 50% Rabi Summer/Pre Kharif crops. Total area affected was 2,35,775 hectare covering 3,48,2086 farm families. This drought like situation was followed by the regular flood affecting 1,09,878 hectare of crop area and also by the attack of Rice Hispa in Kharif paddy affecting 72,737 hectare," informed Mr. E Bimal Singh, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture, Assam.

"During the year 2000-2001, the State experienced three waves of floods. The first wave of flood came in the middle of June 2000, second wave was in the latter part of July and last wave was in the early part of September 2000. During Kharif 2000 total cropped area affected was 2,92,903 hectare and total family affected was 6,36,102. The similar situation is now prevailing in the current year 2001-2002. Loss of standing Kharif crops both early and late flood is apprehended," he informed.

In fact, the flash floods and early floods are most common in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Gohpur sub-division of Sonitpur district, Majuli sub-division of Jorhat district. In recent times, these districts are also facing acute problems of sand deposition converting fertile land to barren land overnight. Heavy river bank erosion is also causing concern to the large number of farmers.

The main objective of contingent planning is to minimize the losses of production by way of selecting appropriate alternate crops, suitable variety and adopting appropriate crop production technology.

AK Bora, Director of the Department felt that more funds from the Revenue Department would be needed to check the recurrence of floods in the State. He further informed that all field officials of the Department have been instructed to monitor the adverse situation arising out of the devastating floods.

Meanwhile, the Department has formulated a set of measures to check the devastating flood in the State this year.

For occasionally flood-affected areas, where flood recedes early in season and rice can be transplanted in middle of August, varieties like Ranjit, Bahadur, Pankaj, Lakhimi, PNR 381, Monohar, Sali etc. may also be selected with normal seedbed sowing.

Chronologically, flood affected areas where flood water is expected to recede by the last part of August and first part of September, varieties suitable for staggered planting like Monohar Sali, KMJ-17-19-1, Andrew Sali etc. may be selected with seedbed sowing in normal sowing time.

In areas where transplantation of rice is not possible by mid-September, early maturing (short duration) varieties like luit, Kapili, Culture-1 may be selected for direct seeded crops with spouted seed.

In general under normal conditions 5 to 6 KG seed is needed for transplanting one bigha of land. However, for late sowing/transplanting seed rate should be increased as the germination percentage mainly of Monohar Sali falls very fast beyond June.

In the areas of hills and in late transplanting situation, 4-5 seedling is to be planted per hill to maintain panicle number per unit area with 40-5- days old seedling. Therefore, higher seed rate is necessary for late transplanting situation, he added.

Falling demand & prices put tea industry in a tough spot;

GTAC introduces 'on-line auction' facility

Tea industry in Assam runs into rough weather

Sipping a cup of tea gives you some extra energy. Tea has so much to tell, more so if the magic brew comes from the gardens of Assam, world's most diversified, successful conglomerates. Grown in lush plains of the land of 'red river and blue hills' this rich brew from Assam is being served over the globe. Tea tells more so if cultivated, plucked and processed in Assam.

Novelist Mulk Raj Anand, nicely portrayed the lives and styles of tea community in his famous novel "Two Leafs and a Bud" - which depicts the significance of tea in socio-economic life of Assam.

With the advent of globalisation and removal of quantitative restrictions, Indian tea producers are now facing cut-throat competition. Although Assam's production level has shown growth, there is a very apparent slowing down in recent years.

Against a projected compound growth rate of 4 percent as envisaged by the Tea Board, Assam achieved only 2.2 percent during 1981-92. Assam tea industry will therefore have to shift attention to productivity in as much as concentrating on its effort on quality.

The recent stagnation in the domestic tea market and declining prices, will surely put Assam's tea industry in a tough spot as it is the backbone of the State economy and to face the current crisis of downward price trend, the tea industry should have to strive for two things - quality improvement and cost effectiveness.

For more than a century and a half, the tea industry has contributed immensely in economic development of Assam and so far remains biggest tea producing area in India. It accounts for nearly 55 percent of India's total tea production and about 80 percent of country's exports.

When tea auction was started in London in 1839 based on Assam and China teas and in Calcutta in 1861 based mainly on Assam tea, no consideration was given to the fact that the natural advantage was with Guwahati. It was not realized that in this process, Assam was being deprived of a major share of the benefits of its most important industry.

It was only in late 1960s the then State Finance Minister late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who later became the President of India, initiated action to examine the feasibility of setting up of a tea auction centre in Assam. In May, 1970, the State government appointed a committee headed by former Chief Secretary late Dharmananda Das, under the active support of the late Chief Minister, Bimala Prasad Chaliha. The committee adopted the Guwahati Tea Auction Rules and the first ever tea auction was held in Guwahati, on September 25, 1970.

The first lot of tea was auctioned in the Nehru Stadium Guest House, 31 years back, by no other than legendary RG Baruah, the first Chairman of Assam Tea Brokers Ltd. Since then, the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) has undergone many ups-and-downs till date. In 1985, auction was shifted to GTAC's newly constructed permanent building at Dispur. The building with facilities - including an ultra modern auction hall - has become a landmark for the city of Guwahati.

GTAC's growth is reflected in terms of throughout numbers of sellers and buyers. The total membership of GTAC has reached nearly, 1,000 mark which includes - 662 sellers, 292 buyers, 9 brokers and 33 warehouses. The list of buyers include - Hindustan Lever, Tata, J V Gokal and Company from Russia and various other companies from China, Kenya, Sri Lanka and West European countries.

From a mere quantity of 2.75 million kgs sold in 1970, GTAC achieved a record sale of 151.3 million kgs of tea in 1993, traveling a pretty long way to become one of the largest tea auction centres of the world. GTAC has also contributed to the growth of Guwahati by stimulating local entrepreneurship and creating employment facilities for more than 3,000 job-seekers.

"Guwahati being the gateway of the North-east, is the ultimate choice as an auction centre. Producer's preference for the centre is eloquently evident in the steady increase in arrivals in local warehouses," says Jayanta Kakati, Secretary, GTAC.

Consequently, Guwahati has now emerged as the premier tea market in the world for CTC tea, next only to Colombo.

"GTAC primarily caters to the domestic market and buyers from all over the country gather in this city to ensure their active participation in the biweekly held auctions," says N N Deka, an assistant Superintendent with GTAC.

With the arrival of Internet and e-commerce boom in this corner of the world, GTAC is also planning to introduce 'on-line auction' facility within a short span of time. "We don't want to be left behind others. Transactions in GTAC will be on-line in next two years," informs Kakati.

In fact, GTAC will grow larger and larger with improved communication system which is far from satisfactory when compared with other parts of the country. Natural advantages of GTAC will be augmented and prospect of further growth will receive a boost if e-commerce facility is inducted.

Though Assam produces highest amount of tea in India yet the tea companies, operating in this region, do not have their headquarters here. For the convenience of tea companies having head offices in Kolkata, to some extent, trade has been monopolised there, depriving Assam from its due share of revenue and other benefits.

For a long time, student bodies, political parties and virtually, the entire tea community here, demanding the shifting of headquarters from Calcutta to Guwahati.

"There are around 700 tea estates in the North-east. Works can be carried out in a faster way if headquarters are brought here. At present, for an official approval and procedure, companies have to wait for the instruction from Kolkata, which causes unnecessary delay," resents Kakati.

Tea from luxuriant estates of Assam, loved the world over for special quality. Assam produces 15 percent of the global crop. On the global scenario newer tea producing nations - Kenya, Malawi - have entered the fast track showing remarkable increase in productivity level and therefore posing threat to tea industry in Assam.

How N-E states respond to Banking Ombudsman ? 

Assam shares about 92.72 per cent of the complaints against banks filed before the banking Ombudsman by the customers in North-east nowadays. The rest 7.28 per cent of the complainants belong to Meghalaya and Nagaland. However, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura have shown no response to the Banking Ombudsman scheme during the financial year 2000-2001.

The Reserve Bank of India constituted a 'neutral forum' between the nationalised banks and the customers to deal in different complaints or cases subject to 'sufficient cause' and rules of the bank-concerned. That is, the Banking Ombudsman scheme has been designed to upgrade the quality of customer services in different banks of the country. Its key objective is to enable resolution of complaints relating to provision of banking services and to facilitate the settlement of such complaints.

There is a Banking Ombudsman office in the RBI regional office on the Railway Station Road, Guwahati. The scheme has, indeed, been playing a vital role in the development of banking sector in the North-east since the inception of Guwahati office in June 1996. The office has registered 37 complaints out of 108 cases during the financial year 1996-97. It registered 114 cases out of 239 complaints in 1997-98, 65 cases out of 234 complaints in 1998-99, 47 cases against 110 complaints in 1999-2000 and 55 cases against 145 complaints in 2000-01. Up to 1999-2000, all cases have been deposed off. However, 38 cases remained pending during the financial year 2000-01. Out of 38 cases, 18 cases were registered by the end of the year under review. In the meantime 7 cases, out of these 18 cases were deposed off by April, 2001.

Talking to this writer, Mr. Gautam Prasad Baruah, Banking Ombudsman, North-east said, "The Banking Ombudsman has been set up by the RBI for speedy and inexpensive redressal of complaints of bank-customers against deficiency in banking services. The body is faster than a civil court in disposing cases. There had been no pending cases for four years."

"The response to the Banking Ombudsman scheme by Assam is quite good in Assam. The State shares at least 80 percent of the complaints set by other N-E States. The response from Meghalaya is all right, Nagaland - not high, Arunachal Pradesh - not much. However, Mizoram is showing no response to the scheme. The people of Mizoram are either satisfied with the bank performance or they are not aware of the scheme; notwithstanding the fact that the State is one of the important States with higher literacy rate."

"There are three ways to redress the complaints against a particular bank. First of all, the complaint and the bank come to a mutual agreement and the Banking Ombudsman tries to help them to consider mutually acceptable terms. At least 70 per cent of the conflict is redress in this stage. Secondly, if certain conflict is not resolved by a mutual agreement or mutual discussion, in that case a hearing is organised when both the parties put up their case in a formal manner. After hearing the case, the Banking Ombudsman gives his recommendations to them, i.e. the Complainant and the bank. In case they agrees to settle the matter, the case ends there. Thirdly, either the party does not agree, the matter goes to the third stage where the Banking Ombudsman inform parties to hear the case again and in this hearing an award is given by the Banking Ombudsman if the award is acceptable to the complainant, the award becomes a binding on the bank."

A customer of any commercial bank (including a foreign bank) and a scheduled primary co-operative bank can approach the Banking Ombudsman.

When a customer can approach the Banking Ombudsman? Replying this query, Mr. Baruah said, "You can approach the Banking Ombudsman as soon as your bank has rejected your complaint or if you are not satisfied with your bank's reply or if the bank does not respond to your complaint within two months of your writing to it. But remember to send your complaint to the Banking Ombudsman not later-on than one year after your bank rejecting your claim or sending its final reply."

The average collection of samples per senior food inspector (SFI) and food inspector (FI) per month ranged from 1.81 to 2.14 during the period between 1995 and 1999 (five years), which was negligible. It was also seen from the records of six districts, local health authorities (LHAs) test-checked that the average monthly collection of samples per SFI and FI during those five years ranged from 1.50 in Tinsukia to 3.34 in Barpeta. It is noteworthy that the State Government attributed (August 2000) the reasons for poor collection of samples to non-availability of funds, which is not tenable as there were savings every year against provision of funds. Audit analysis revealed that the poor performance was due to non-stipulation of norm of sample, collection per SFI and FI, and irregular deployment of manpower. As a result, the surveillance of sellers, manufacturers and agents of food items was inadequate.

"Functioning of the laboratory used for examining samples was also affected for want of sophisticated equipment though funds were provided by the Union Government for the purpose," the report said. During the period between 1995 and 1999 seven food poisoning cases were reported in which 30 persons died after consumption of adulterated milk, puja prasad, etc. As many as 800 people were affected by food-poisoning cases in different parts of the State; even many of them died after eating contaminate grams in the recent past.

Reflected in the CAG Report, mention has been made of the poor collection of food samples by SFIs and FIs. Together with this, for providing licenses to manufacturers and traders of food articles, the Assam Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules was introduced in 1960. Yet it was only in 1997 that licensing authorities were appointed. It is a pathetic fact that until July 2000 no license had been issued in the State.

Monitoring at all levels was very poor and no evaluation was done. Implementation of the Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (a Central Act) and The Assam Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1960 did not gain the expected momentum in the State.

Up-to-date position of pending court cases could not be furnished by the food health authority (Director of Health Services, Assam is the ex-officio of FHA) of the State. It was seen from the annual report of 1998 that of 565 cases pending in courts, 385 cases (66 per cent) were pending for over three years. Scrutiny of six test-checked districts local health authorities also disclosed that as of December 1999 only 84 cases were pending in courts for over three years.

Having reviewed the situation, arising out of the poor collection of food samples by SFIs and FIs as well as the tardy issue of licenses, Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi instructed all concerned government officials to take immediately precautionary steps for implementing various Rules on food adulteration in the State.

With a view to ensuring availability of unadulterated food and drink (other than drugs) to consumers, protecting them from fraudulent trade practices and providing guidance/norms to the manufacturers/dealers of food articles, Central Government enacted 'The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954'. Under Section 23 of the Act, the Centre had made 'The Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1955'. In exercise of powers conferred by Section 24 of the Act and for giving effect to the provisions of the said Act, the State Government had made 'The Assam Prevention of food Adulteration Rules 1960' which was amended in 1983.

There are three key objectives of the Food Act. They are : to prevent adulteration of foodstuff and manufacture, storing and sale of adulterated foodstuff for human consumption; to ensure the purity of food items sold to public and to eradicate the antisocial evil of adulteration; and to prohibit misbranding of foodstuff and to prevent fraud on the consumer public.