CHAPTER : V

INDUSTRIES.
A. Old time Industries :-
The finesse and exquisite workmanship of a wide variety of industrial products of ancient Assam earned
universal acclamation,as is evident from many literary and historical records. In all branches industry and
craftsmanship like weaving and sericulture, or metal, ivory, wood, leather, clay, cane, bamboo works and the
like,the reputation of Assamese artisans was equal to that of the craftsmen of other parts of contemporary India.
The ancient kingdom of Kamrupa was noted for many old times industries. In the pre!ritish period where there
were independent rulers in Assam, a number of old times industries especially cottage industries got the
patronage from the kings and nobles and naturally the propagation of such industries constituted one of the
important features of the cultural life of the Assamese people. "elf sufficiency had been the keynote of Assam#s
economy in early medieval time,and various cottage industries formed,therefore,an inalienable part of her
culture. To a large number of the people these cottage industries had been,as it were,a way of life rather than
mere source of living.
$istorical evidence bearing on Assamese old time industries are not scanty and references that we have
in historical and other literature of Assam are sufficient to point to a high standard of industrial efficiency that
the people obtained in Assam in early times. Assam produced almost all that was necessary for life in the light of
the standard of living prevalent in those days. %r. &.A. 'ait in his 'A History of Assam' has stated that the
industry was highly developed in Ahom period. There are references to weavers, spinners, goldsmiths, potters
and workers in ivory, bamboo, wood, hides and cane. According to the (uhammedan historians, the people were
very skilful in weaving of embroidered silk cloths. According to records, (omai Tamuli !arbarua, a minister of
king )ratap "ingha, made it compulsory for every adult able bodied female to spin a certain quantity of yarn
every evening. The Assamese were excellent carpenters who made their boxes,trays,stools and chairs by carving
these out of a single block of wood.
a. Old time Cottage Industries and teir modern !osition :-
The principal old time industries in the "tate were weaving in country looms, pottery, blacksmithy, bell
metal and brassmetal works, goldsmithy, village carpentary, bamboo and cane works,spinning of endi,muga and
mulberry silk,vegetable dyeing,wood carving,hand pounding of rice,manufacture of ivory products,etc.
"ome of these industries are now in decaying stage due primarily to *a+lack of capital and technical
knowhow,*b+competition from machine made
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ./0
goods at cheaper rates,*c+lack of marketing facilities,etc. 1e may mention the following old time industries that
had been in vogue in the "tate of Assam.
*i+1eaving 2 Assam had a high reputation and early traditions in manufacturing cotton clothes required
for her use. 'Harsa Charita' mentioned one kind of dukula cotton which was sent as a present to king $arsa by
King !haskaravarman of Kamrupa. This Dukula was made from fine handspun white cotton yarn by the
Assamese weavers. 3otton weaving was and still is one of the most common industries in Assam. In
fact,weaving in Assam is characterised by its distinctiveness,and although most of the products are for purely
utility purpose,some of them which are used for certain occasions are of exquisite beauty,durable quality,delicate
weave,dainty design and delightful colours. The beautiful handloom fabrics shows the creative genius of
individual weavers whom tradition has made brilliant artisans. Traditionally,the skill in the art of weaving and
spinning has always been held to be one of the highest attainments of an Assamese women. &ven in a marriage
proposal,proficiency of the wouldbe bride in Bowa-kata,i.e.,skill in spinning and weaving is counted highly.
%uring the rule of the Ahoms,elaborate arrangements were made for keeping in the # Royal Store' sufficient
quantity of clothes of different varieties for presentation to foreign courts and dignitaries
4
. In similar references,it
is also found that until the beginning of the present century the whole of the cloth requirements of every
Assamese family were secured from the family handloom. !ut with increasi ng competitions from millmade
cloth,the family handlooms now supply only special varieties of clothes for women and for social and religious
purposes. &ven then in rural areas,women still depend on homemade clothes woven from mill made yarns. As
handloom clothes cater mainly to the family needs,there is very little trade in handwoven clothes therein. The
1eaving %epartment of the "tate 'overnment is trying to help weaving by organising cooperatives and
supplying yarns,fly shuttle looms and providing facilities,etc. The 1eaving Institute at 'uwahati is also training
students in various new designs and processes.
&xample of references of handloom weaving that flourished in Assam in the past are found in many
epigraphic,literary and foreign accounts. The Kalika Purana of the 45
th
century A.%.and Harsa Charita shows
that fine cotton garments were used in Assam. The Kalika Purana also refers to woolen garments,Kamala used
and manufactured in this country. %uring the Ahom period,handloom weaving was at the peak of its glory. It was
rare to find an Assamese family without a loom. (omai Tamuli !arbarua,a minister of kin )ratap
"ingha,ordered that before the sunset every woman must spin a certain number of hanks of yarn. This rule was
scrupulously followed in the Ahom kingdom to avoid punishment. In his book 'An A!!ount of Assam',

4. &.A. 'ait 2 A History of Assam, Re"ised #dition, p./6/.
I7%8"T-I&" ./6
9.).1ade observed2##1arlike cloth is made in the following manner. At midnight the cotton is ginned,passed into
rollers,spun into thread,manufactured into cloth and worn by the warriors in the morning.## It is an old custom
that the mother gives three pieces of silk garment to er daughter at the time of the latter#s marriage and complete
silk dress to her soninlaw when welcoming him. :rom early times,#ri cloth has been serving the purpose pf
woolens particularly amongst the less affluent section of the Assamese people. (uhammedan historians
observed that Assam silk was excellent and it resembled those of 3hina. Travernier refers to Assam silk as one
##produced on trees## and confirms that the stuff made of them was very brilliant. ;ike the nobility of <apan,the
Ahom kings in Assam took personal care and interest in the silk industry and the royal patronage contributed a
lot in attaining the high degree of its perfection. The fabrics prepared out of muga,eri and $at *mulberry
silk+became the national dress of the Assamese and formed a common costume of the women of the Assam
valley.
1ith the downfall of the Ahom kingdom and the advent of the !ritish came the dark era of handloom
weaving in Assam. The !ritish did not evince any interest in the development of this national industry. They
were keen only to find markets for their ;ancashire products and as such weaving industry faced keen
competition from the millmade cheap goods which dominated the markets situated even in the remote areas.
The traditional weavers could not withstand the competition and left their age old occupation to find
employment in other sectors. $owever,the industry was so deeply rooted in the substratum of the Assamese life
that it could save itself from total annihilation in spite of the competition that throttled its growth. It still
continues to be an important occupation,especially of the womenfolk. &very girl is expected to know the art of
weaving. It is still customary among the Assamese,that on Bihu occasions a grownup girl makes presents of
selfwoven Bihuan, %Phulam &amosa'to her near and dear ones as a token of love and respect. It is in this
context that (ahatma 'anshi once remarked,##Assamese women are born weavers,they can weave fairy tales in
their clothes.##
The Assamese women,as in the past,pursue the industry as a parttime occupation to produce the cloth
required by each family,but they detest production on commercial basis. Among the
immigrants,however,professional weaving is not rare. The articles of production generally include
mekhela,!hadar,riha,!huria,!heleng,orka$or,gamosa, and piece cloth,etc. The implements of weaving which
were and still are common in almost all the Assamese families are quite few in number,!esides various types of
looms,ugha,!hereki,mako,spinning wheel,neothani,etc.,are some of the accessories required for weaving. As
many as twelve types of looms are said to be in use in the "tate which may be broadly grouped under four
categories,i,e.,Throw "uttle ;oom,;oin ;oom,)it ;oom and :ly "huttle ;oom. The first one is found in almost
every
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ./=
found in almost every Assamese household while the second one is in common use among the hill tribes. Te
!engali weavers who have migrated from &ast )akistan *now !angladesh+ mostly use )it ;oom. The :ly "huttle
loom which is recent introduction,is an improved type of frame which considerably increase the output of the
weavers.
-aw materials required for weaving industry are mainly cotton,muga,$at,eri, and silk yarn. >arious
counts of counts of yarn ranging from 45##to =5##are generally used by the weavers. The yarn is mostly purchased
from the markets and only a few do the spinning at home. Almost whole of the cotton yarns and a greater part of
the silk yarns are imported from outside the "tate.
/
"ii#Seri$ulture :- 7ext to weaving,sericulture is the most important cottage industry of the "tate of
Assam. &xtensively practised during the agricultural offseason as a subsidiary occupation,it occupies an
important place in the rural economy of the "tate. Assam is a leading producer of the nonmulberry silk and
produces about twothirds of India#s total output and so far as the production of muga silk is concerned,the "tate
virtually holds a monopoly over it.
?
The origin of the silk industry in Assam is still obscure there is hardly any doubt about its antiquity. ).3.
3houdhury in his book,'(he History of Ci"ilisation of the Peo$le of Assam to the (welfth Century A)D)'
observes,##The art of sericulture and rearing of cocoons for the manufacture of various silk cloths were known to
the Assamese as early as the Ramayana and the Arthasastra)''
The classical writers beginning at least with 4
st
century A.%.,make important mention of the production
of silk and the silk trade in and through Assam. The Peri$lus refers to both raw and manufactured silk which
were from 3hina or Assam.##As the industry was mainly confined in the past to the Tibeto !urman elements in
Assam,it is not unlikely that along with their migration to Assam they introduced some ideas from 3hina@but the
manufacture of muga silk has been confined to Assam alone,and this land,like 3hina,had worldwide reputation
for the manufacture of varieties of silk clothes,and had a profitable foreign trade in such articles.
.
3hinese
records dating as far back as /.= A.%.mention about the trade route from the south through the "han
states,!rahmaputra river and Kamarupa to )ataliputra *present )atna+and through it,to the western part of India.
The ancient trade in silk with !hutan and Tibet,through 8dalguri in the %arrang district of Assam still exists.
A

/. Sele!ted Handi!rafts of Assam, 3ensus of India, 4B04, >ol C III, Assam, p. .A.
?. Ibid, p./?.
.. ).3 3houdhury 2 (he History of Ci"ilisation of the $eo$le of Assam to the (welfth Century A.%.,4BAB, p. ?0.
0A.
A. *a!ts aout Assam Silk + The "ericulture and 1eaving %epartment, Assam, "hillong. p./.
I7%8"T-I&" ./B
The unique distinction earned by the fabrics prepared out of muga,eri and $at *mulberry silk+in the
Assamese life and the interest taken by Ahom nobility in rearing up the silk industry have already been described
in the preceding paras under #1eaving#. It is due to this royal patronage during the Ahom days that the industry
reached its high peak of perfection. %uring the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century,Assam silk
especially murga,was much in demand in &urope and formed the staple trade of &ast India company during this
period.
;ike weaving,silk industry also had its period of crisis during the !ritish regime when markets in far
flung areas were flooded with foreign millmade artificial silk cloths. !ut the industry has stood the test of time
having survived and risen from ravages. The %epartment of "ericulture and 1eaving which came into being in
4B.=.B *after it was separated from the 3ottage Industries %epartment+and the various schemes undertaken by
it since then for the development of sericulture provide a fresh lease of life and the industry appears to be
making steady progress. The 3entral "ilk !oard of India has also been to great assistance to the "tate by the
providing finance for the effective implementation of various schemes for the development of sericulture.
The varieties of silk from Assam are eri or erandi *atta!us ri!hini+,made from the silk of the worm of the
same name,muga%antheroea assamoea'from a cocoon of the same name and $at %$attla')
The concentration of rearers of a particular silk worm in different areas of the "tate depends of rainfall
and climatic conditions of different parts of the "tate. The eri culture is done in areas where rainfall is done in
areas where rainfall is fairly heavy and the atmosphere is humid,whereas mulberry silk worm thrives only under
certain temperature and humidity. The composition of sericulturist groups in a few districts of the "tate is
presented below.
0
"ericulture is widely practised in the %arrang district by the Kachari *!odo+and Assamese women. Dut
of the three varieties of silk worms only eri and $at worms are widely reared in this district. ,uga worms it is
learnt,are reared by a few members of the 7ath or Eogi community. In the 'oalpara district,the -abha women
are chiefly found to be engaged in rearing silk worms. 7ext come the Assamese womenfolk. -earing of eri
worms is extensively practised by the latter. !ut in very recent times,a few Assamese women have also taken to
rearing $at and muga worms. In the 7agaon district,sericulture is widely practised in the -abha area by the 7ath
community. The particular community is known here as #Eogi#or #Katoni#. They have taken up rearing of all the
three varieties of silk worms,eri,a$t and muga) A few of the Assamese and Kachari people are also found to be
carrying on the rearing of the silk worms. %uring the reign of Ahom Kings,both undivided "ibsagar and
;akhimpur districts were

0. Sele!ted Handi!rafts of Assam, 3ensus of India, 4B04, >olIII, Assam, p./0/6.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .?5
centres of all varieties of silk. "ericulture is associated with these two undivided districts. The Assamese,(ishing
and some other tribal communities are also found to be engaged in this ageold craft. !ut amongst the silk
rearing communities,the 7ath community of these districts deserves special mention,and its members are found
to be very skilful in the art of rearing all the varieties of silk worms. It may be mentioned here that the bulk of
the muga silk produced in Assam id being contributed by the rearers of the erstwhile "ibsagar district.
Kamrup district is also a ma<or silk producing area of Assam where all the three varieties of silk worms
are reared. "ualkuchi in the Kamrup district is most important centre of the silk industry. "ualkuchi is
undoubtedly the most famous silk fabric producing centre not only in Kamrup district but also in the entire "tate
of Assam. "ualkuchi claims a technique,quality and reputation of its own which are unique in so far as muga and
$at silk fabrics are concerned.
"ualkuchi silk is as old as its people. Although the origin of silk weaving at "ualkuchi is still
obscure,there is no doubt about its antiquity. %uring the olden days,the industry appears to have been patronised
mainly by the nobility and the ruling kings of Assam,and the type of fabrics produced were beautifully decorated
with designs and were very costly being more intended to serve the individual needs and tastes of the welltodo
than meet the general demand. $owever,the products of this industry en<oy a great reputation outside Assam
also for their delicate designs,quality and durability. A huge quantity of ,uga sari is being regularly exported to
1est !engal from this silk cloth producing centre. The industry seemed to have faced a period of adversity
perhaps due to the disturbed fortunes of the ruling kings and nobility in olden times. It could not thrive well
during the !ritish regime as the latter did not take any interest for the progress of this industry in the "tate
.6
$owever,after independence due to the efforts of the "tate#s "ericulture and 1eaving department,the All
India $andloom !oard and the All India "ilk !oard,both sericulture and weaving industries have received a new
lease of life and have begun to make good progress. 3oncentrated and vigorous activities have been carried out
in the development of sericulture and weaving industries in the "tate since the inception of these agencies.
In spite of many odds,the sericulture and weaving industries at "ualkuchi are functioning well with the
help of cooperative societies organised in the town and addressed to silk spinning and weaving. The names of
the registered societies are *4+Assam 3ooperative "ilk $ouse ;td.,*ii+Assam 3ooperative -esham "amabay
)ratisthan,*iii+(adhya "ualkuchi -esham "amabay "amity ;td.*iv+"ualkuchi !hatipara (uga spinners#and
1eavers# 3ooperative "ociety,*v+!amun "ualkuchi "ilk "amity ;td.,*vi+)urba "ualkuchi -esham "amity ;td.,

6. Sele!ted Handi!rafts of Assam, census of India, 4B04, >ol C III, Assam, p./
I7%8"T-I&" .?4
and *vii+"ualkuchi Pat-,uga Palu Poha "amabay "amity ;td. Though a good number of cooperative societies
are functioning at "ualkuchi,the vast ma<ority of weavers are still working outside the cooperative fold. "ome of
them are still working on wage basis in local weaving factories while the others work individually.
In this context,it may,however,be noted that the weavers who work under the cooperative fold collect.
,uga !o!oons or Pat,,uga from their respective societies,and in case of ,uga cocoons,they themselves spin
the yarn and weave the particular cloth as ordered by the societies. After delivery of the finished products to the
societies they are paid specified rates on different cloths. (ost of the weavers of this group work in their own
houses. The other group of weavers work in some factories within the town itself. They are provided with looms
in the factory and the raw materials are also supplied by the owners. The workers are paid on wage basis. The
last group of weavers who work neither under cooperative fold nor in factories,are the individual weavers. They
continue their business individually and sell their finished products to the local merchants.
(a<or portion of the finished products of the silk industry of "ualkuchi are sold through the sales depots
run by different cooperative societies and Khadi !handars located in the towns and business centres of Assam.
!esides,there are also sales centres sponsored by the All India Khadi and >illage Industries 3ommission,the
'overnment emporium and the "tate (arketing 3orporation within the outside the "tate. A good quantity of silk
products are being exported of foreign countries.
Pat is produced from the cocoons of two species of worm called univoltine or Bar-Palu %amy-
te-tor'and the multivoltine or saru-$alu %amy- !roesi')!oth the species are reared indoors on the leaves of the
mulberry tree %morus indi!a' or where mulberry is not obtainable,on the panchapa. The eggs of the Bar-Palu
take about ten months to hatch,the worms usually make their appearance in 9anuary. The life span of the worms
is about thirty to forty days. The rearing of saru-$alu is much favoured by the cultivators as it yields four breeds
in a year although thread obtained from it is regarded inferior to that of the Bar-Palu) Pat silk is used for making
mekhela,riha,louse piece and !hadar for females and #ngla-!hola and !howga-!ha$kan for males.
"everal causes make this silk rare and expensive. :irst,the worms producing this type of silk are very
delicate and a large number of them die before they spin. "econdly,the supply of mulberry leaves is also limited.
Thirdly,the rearing of this worm in the past carried a stigma of impurity and as such its rearing was confined
only to the members of 9ugi and other such communities and even they also regarded it with disfavour.
$owever,this old time pre<udice has almost died out and the rearing of the worm has become popular among the
members of other communities as well.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .?/
,uga,the golden silk of Assam is produced by a caterpillar,known as ## antheroea assamoea'' which is
generally fed on the "om tree %me!hilus ordoratissima') It is a multivoltine silk worm producing five
breeds,viF.,Katia,.arua,.ethuwa,Aharua,and Bhadia in a year,only two breeds,i.e.,Katia in Dctober
7ovember,and the .ethua in the spring are commonly reared in the "tate. The complete cycle of the insect lasts
from fiftyfour to eightyone days,the bulk of which is occupied by the life of the worm. 1hen they are fully
grown,they are about five inches long and their thickness varies from /A.. mm to ?= mm. Their colour is green
with a brown and yellow stripe extending down each side,while red moles with bright gold bases are dotted
about the surface of the body. The silk is produced by feeling the cocoons. (ost of the Assamese women possess
one or more garments of muga silk and welltodo men ceremonially wear waist clothes of this materials.
The #ri worm %atta!hus ri!ini'derives its name from the #ri or castor plant on which it is usually fed.
)atches of this plant are commonly seen in the gardens of most of the villages. ##The worm belonging to the
Saturnidae is for all practical purposes habitant of Assam,##
=
as fairly heavy rainfall and moist climate are
considered ideally suitable to it. In a year,five or six breeds are generally reared and those who spin their
cocoons in 7ovember. :ebruary,and (ay yield much silk. The most useful garments made of #ri silk is the ar-
ka$oor,a large sheet,0.5B metres in length,4.A/ metres wide,which is folded and used as a wrap in cold weather
by all sections of the people. #ri silk is also made into coats and shirts,mekhela,eri-!haddar,etc.
"ericulture is mainly a household industry and generally the rearing of worms is done by the female
members of the household in their idle hours. (ostly,the rearing is done to meet the requirements of the family
though there are a few professionals who practise it more or less on commercial lines. The tools and implements
required for the industry are few and simple,and almost all these are made by the artisan himself and by the
members of his family or can be had from the market at a moderate price. The tools generally required are
2!amboo tray %dala'amoo !handrakiful thread net,!harkha %nidhiram',takli,boiling pan and loom.
The ma<or problem of the handloom and sericulture industry of Assam is the problem of shortage of
yarn. The present annual demand for yarn generated by 46 lakh weavers in Assam is as follows 2
3otton 4?A./A lakh kilogram
)at 5.=6 ,, ,,

=. &lim$se of silk /ndustry in Assam, "ericulture and 1eaving %epartment, 'overnment of Assam, 4BA0, p.?
I7%8"T-I&" .??
(uga 5../ ,, ,,
&ri 5.BA ,, ,,
1orsted wool 4.=5 ,, ,,
others 5.4? ,, ,,
"ource 2%irectorates of $andloom,'overnment of Assam,4BB/.
The four spinning mills in Assam can meet /5 per cent of the total demand for yarn. The rest of the yarn
has to be important from outside. The transport cost and for uncertain supply of yarn have contributed to the rise
in the price of yarn.
Apart from the problem of scarcity and high price of yarn,another problem which is being faced by the
handloom industry in Assam is the problem of the limited supply of credit to the weavers of the "tate. ;oan is
being made available to the weavers at a concessional rate of interest since 4BA6A=. $owever,till now only 45
primary handloom cooperatives and one apex cooperative have been benefit by such loans.
The total number of loans in Assam stands at 4. lakhs and the total amount of working capital needed is
-s. 465 crore annually. Dn an average the per capita loan offered by each cooperative is very small. According to
data published by the !anking 3ommission,only 4?.A per cent of the total number of members of the co
operatives in Assam are being provided with loans,the All India percentage being ?B.. percent.
The 7ational !ank for Agriculture and -ural %evelopment *7A!A-%+is an important source of credit
to the handloom sector in Assam. Till recently,one of the conditions necessary for supply of 7A!A-% loans to
primary cooperatives societies in the 7orth &ast was that the society was required to have 455 looms under it
with a total annual turnover of at least -s.? lakhs. This condition have been modified now and the society is
eligible for loans if it has A5 looms with an annual turnover of -s. a.A lakhs. 7A!A-% is presently conducting a
study of the performance of cooperative credit institutions in Assam,the long term and the short term credit
structure,the poor growth in lending and disturbingly high levels of overdues.
The 7orth &ast $andloom and $andicrafts %evelopment 3orporation *7&$$%3+,set up in 4B66,has
initiated a number of steps to promote the growth and development of handloom and handicrafts in Assam and
the rest of the 7orth &ast. Towards this end,the 7&$$%3 supplies raw materials and working capital to the
handloom sector and provides facilities for the marketing and the handloom products. 8nder the guidance of the
7&$$%3,handloom and handicraft products from the 7orth &ast have been displayed in various trade fairs and
exhibitions held in places like !russels,Tokyo,7ew Eork and !erlin. A wide market for the sericulture products
of Assam exists in countries like 8.K.Italy,
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .?.
"witFerland,:rance,"ingapore and "audi Arabia.
About 46 lakh individuals are employed in Assam#s handloom and handicrafts sector. The silk subsector
has covered about 6555 villages in Assam. A?,555 families are engaged in eri production 4B,555 families in silk
production and 4555 families in muga production.
It is noteworthy that the handloom and handicrafts sector cover all sections of people in society and all
the areas of the "tate. 1omen and weaker sections of people in the society have found wide employment
opportunities in this sector. In 4BB5B4,4/55 weavers belonging to the scheduled caste and schedule tribe
communities received a sum of -s. 6/ lakhs from the 3entre. :or the benefit of these weavers,training
programmes,construction of work sites,supply of looms and other schemes have been taken up.
%adi Programme :
Khadi *3otton and "ilk spinning and 1eaving+is at the core of the >illage Industries )rogramme
undertaken by the Assam Khadi G >illage Industries !oard. It is now generally recognised that all of the
development programmes Khadi and >illage Industries is the most essential to restore the balanced socio
economic growth of the Indian society which is the main ob<ective of our national planning.
7ecessary steps have been taken by the !oard to replace the traditional implements with the improved
ones and to introduce improved methods of technique so that the rural artisans may increase their productivity
and their earnings as well. In order to meet the demands of our weavers for adequate quantity of yarn,the "tate
!oard in addition to the traditional !harkhas introduced about 46A new model !harkhas of six spindles and two
spindles at $a<o,(arigaon and Khudra"ankara. "teps have also been taken to introduce such improved !harkha
at (anikpur and 8darband. !esides,/A Dea Katai-!harkhas have been introduced in the hill areas so as to
utilise the locally grown short staple cotton.
The !oard arranges training for the artisans in the traditional as well as improved methods of production
at its training centre at -aha and also send Khadi workers outside Assam for refreshers training and training in
salesmanship.
1ith a view to conducting research on the development of indigenous #ndi and ,uga of Assam,a
research centre has been set up at 'uwahati towards the end of the year 4B6066 after due sanction of the Khadi
3ommission. This research centre has brought effective improvement in the methods of production of Assam
silk.
:rom the achievements shown below it appears that the production and sale of Khadi and >illage
Industries have been considerably increased. This upward progress may be attributed to the use of khadi cloth in
the 'overnment departments,increasing demand of #ndi and ,uga outside Assam,and financial
I7%8"T-I&" .?A
assistant rendered by the Khadi 3ommission. "teps were taken to raise the wages of the spinners and weavers so
that they might get due return of their labour. !ut the !oard is reported to have experienced difficulty in
procuring eri cocoons for the local spinners as the traders from outside Assam purchased these by paying high
price to the agents.
In 4B6A60,the Khadi and >illages Industries !oard had /A )roduction centres in different parts of
Assam. 7ow,however,no of such centres has increased tremendously as can be seen from the table given below 2
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .?0
Assam Khadi and >illage Industries !oard )roduction of Khadi *3otton and "ilk+and &mployment
Eear Type of
Industry
7o.of centres
working
Total &mployment
*7o.+
Huantity
)roduced
>alue of
)roduction
*-s.in lakh+
4B=0=6 3loth
Earn
?A
I.
6BAB
I..
?4?6?B
sq.metres
I..
==..5
I.
4B=BB5 3loth
Earn
A6
I.
466..
I.
4.0/ lakh
sq.metres
I..
456./5
I..
4BB4B/ 3loth
Earn
A=
I.
4/B5?
I.
/.?= lakh
sq.metres
I.
B5.BB
I
4BB/B? 3loth
Earn
A6
I.
4A.65
I.
/..?
lakh.sq.metres
4B4.54
I.
4BB?B. 3loth
Earn
A6
7.A.
406=4
7.A.
?.4? lakh
sq.metres
?60.0kg.
4?4.B5
AA.B.
4BB.BA 3loth
Earn
AB
7.A.
4/.=/
7.A.
4,0/,.?A
sq.metres
/?,650 kg.
=4.0?
.4.4=
"ource 2%irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics,Assam,Statisti!al Hand Book of Assam,
4B=6*p.4/./A+,4BB4 *p.4?0?6+,4BB/ *p.40.0A+,4BB?*p.46564+
4BB. *p.440+and 4BBA *p.4/.+.
I7%8"T-I&" .?6
:ollowing table shows the achievements of Khadi and >illage Industries 3ommission in production and sales of
Khadi in Assam during the years,4B6B=5,4BB5B4 to 4BB/B?.
B
Types of
Khadi
8nit 4B6B=5 4B===B 4BB5B4 4BB4B/ 4BB/B?
4.3ottonKhadi
*i+)roduction of yarn
*ii+)roduction of
cloth
*iii+-etail sales of
cloth
*iv+&mployment
*v+1ages
-s.in lakh
%o
%o
7os.
-s.in lakh
45.?.
=.00
I
6B.?B
0.65
/0.A5
A...05
I
=0/?
/..4?
I
?0.=B
0=.0=
./A=
/4.60
I
./.?5
0A.40
?0?5
/6.46
I
AB.?5
==.50
A4.05
/6.A.
/."ilk Khadi
*i+)roduction
*ii+-etail salary
*iii+&mployment
*iv+1ages
-s.in lakh
%o
7os.
-s.in lakh
.A...
I
/4=B4
4B.=6
40?.?/
I
?.?B5
AB./.
4?B.=5
445.BB
4=A.AB
AB.54
4A4.B/
44/.5.
400A6
A..=?
/5..0A
4//.?=
4=44B
=/.40
?.(uslim Khadi
*i+)roduction
*ii+&mployment
*iii+1ages
-s.in lakh
7os.
-s.in lakh
I
I
I
4./4
4=0
5.65
4.0/
4/A
4.55
/.55
/AA
4.?=
4..4
4=0
5.A4
..1oolen Khadi
*i+)roduction
*ii+-etail sale
*iii+&mployment
*iv+1ages
-s.in lakh
%o
7os.
-s.in lakh
I.
I.
I.
I.
..B=
I.
?6
?./5
5.B0
?.BA
A
5./.
4...
..?A
A
5.A.
I.
0./6
I.
I.
B. %irectorate of economics and statistics. 'ovt of Assam2, Statisti!al Hand Book, Assam, 4BB4,p. 4.A@
4BB?, p. 4.A@ 4BB?, p. 46A@ 4BB.,p. 44=
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .?=
In the year 4BB.BA,the physical target expected to be achieved in respect of production in the handloom
sector is =0J and in the powerloom sector the percentage is 6AJ.
The review of the Annual )lans 4BB/B? and 4BB?B. shows that the physical target achieved under
Khadi was B6J and 6=J and under village industries sector was /BJ and /4J higher than target respectively.
In respect of sericulture,the "tates &ight plan accords priority to *a+plantation of silk worm food plans,
*b+production and distribution of diseasefree silk worm seed and *c+marketing of produce.
*iii+)ottery 2 )ottery is one of the ageold crafts of Assam carried on by the most antiquity method of
production. The art of making pottery was known to the people of Assam from early times. As regards the
history and origin of the pottery industry in Assam,it has been possible to gather that the use of pottery wares
was prevalent as far back as the A
th
and 0
th
century A.%.
The extensive remains of temple and buildings give ample evidence of working on stones and bricks.
This is proved also by a number of epigraphs. The art of brick making is mentioned in the "ualkuchi grant of
-atnapala. It was highly developed at a subsequent time particularly during the Ahom period. The 7idhanpur
grant mentions Kumhakaragarta *potter#s pit+,and the Kamauli grant refers to the Kumhakaras who were
professional pottery makers. "ome of the best specimens of pottery,with artistic and decorative
designs,belonging to the A
th
and 0
th
century A.%. $ave been discovered from %ah )arvatia@some specimen have
also been found in TeFpur and near "adiya. The clay seals of !haskaravarman also point to the fact that the art of
clay modeling was developed as far back as in the 6
th
century A.%. (oreover,!ana mentions among the presents
of !haskara #drinking vessels embossed by skilful artists,molasses in earthen pots and# cup of 0llaka diffusing a
fragrance of sweet wine.
45
It is very difficult to give a definite note on the existence of pottery during prehistoric epoch,as no
systematic study has been made,but random finding of smallsiFed potteries of the prehistoric times,collected
during various excavations and diggings leave no doubt that the art of pottery was also popular in Assam long
ago.
The existence of some !huas or villages bearing prefix #Kumar# to their names such as Kumar
Chuari,Kumargaon,etc.,is perhaps reminiscent of the pottery that flourished in these regions. In the plain
districts of Assam,pottery is a hereditary occupation of the people belonging to the communities like
Kumar,$ira,etc. "ir &.A. 'ait,in an article in the 9ournal of Indian Art and,the industry published in
4=B=,observes that there are

45. %r. ).3. 3houdhury 2 (he History of Ci"ilisation of the Peo$le of Assam to the (welfth Century A)D),
&uwahati, 1232, $) 456)
I7%8"T-I&" .?B
two distinct classes of persons engaged in the manufacture of pottery in the !rahmaputra >alley,the $iras and
the Kumars. The wood ##Kumar## is derived from ##Kumbhakar## and means maker of pots. The word Kumar,on the
otherhand,so far as the !rahmaputra valley is proper is concerned,is not used to denote persons of any particular
caste or subcaste but is applied to persons of several different castes,chiefly the Kalitas,Keot and Koch,who
make or whose ancestors are remembered to have made articles of earthenware. Thus,there are Kumar
Kalitas,Kumar Keots and Kumar Koches,and the people so designated continue to retain their old caste status.
##In few rare instances,persons other than $iras and Kumars were found manufacturing earthen vessels in
the !rahmaputra valley. In the TeFpur subdivision,a few people of Kaivarta caste make large earthen pots which
are used for building gur. 7ear %ibrugarh a few families of upcountry men from Arra are potters by profession.
They are known locally as $ira Kumars. "uch upcountry potters have also settled recently at 'olaghat.##
44
The present position of the Kumars is not uniform throughout the !rahmaputra valley. They are treated
more or less as members of a scheduled caste in the Kamrup district while they rank almost equally with Kalitas
and others in upper district.
In undivided 3achar district,the word #Kumar# devotes what it does in !engal,the separate potter
caste,i.e.,one of the nine professional castes %7a"ashakha' which are said to be descendants as the offspring from
8iswakarma,the divine artisan. In 3achar district,some of the craftsmen are engaged in making only images of
'ods and 'oddesses. At present,the image making is their subsidiary occupation,their main occupation being
'&raha$u9a' along with the studies of astronomy. This class is known as '&rahai$ra' or &anak *astrologers+and
the members of their families prepared images of $indu 'ods and 'oddesses during different religious
occasions. According to the estimates of the numerical strength of some backward classes prepared by the
3ensus Drganisation in 4BA.,&rahai$ra or &anak was shown as on of the backward classes in 3achar.
The principal centres of pottery industry were at TeFpur,3hatia,>iswanath,!echeria, $aleswar and
"almara in undivided %arrang district,3haralgaon, Kumargaon, )utani %haramtul and (onoi in erstwhile
7agaon district@ 9oynagar,3hatla,Kalain,-angauti,(ati<uri,!ishnupur and "ibootttar in undivided 3achar district
2 %ibrugarh,(adarkhat,(argherita,Tinsukia and 3habua in the undivided ;akhimpur district@
:akirgan<,'auripur,-upsi,

44. -eference 2 ,anufa!ture of Pottery in Assam by &.A. 'ait, published in the 9ournal pf Indian Art and the
Industry, 4=B=.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ..5
"atyapur,-okakhata,%ubapara and (arnai in undivided 'oalpara district and 'uwahati, "ualkuchi, $a<o,
-angia, !arpeta, 3haygaon, )athsala, in the undivided Kamrup district.
The state of affairs of the pottery industry in the "tate is not very encouraging. ;ocal pottery has mostly
been replaced by the superior clay or porcelain goods and metal utensils imported into the "tate from outside.
The profits of the industry are also small and most of the traditional potters have left the trade and shifted to
other lucrative occupations.
According to the Khadi G >illage Industries !oard of Assam,total employment in this branch of the
cottage industry was /A,6?0 in the year 4BB?B. against /A,?0B in 4BB/B?.
4/
The raw materials required for the industry are the glutinous clay and the tools and implements used are
the wheel %!hak',mould *athali+,the mallet %hatiya $iteni' and polisher %!haki')The articles made are cooking pots
*such as akathiah and Khola,daskathia,!haru and satar+water <ars %kalah and takeli', vessels for boiling paddy
%thali',larger vessels %hari and 9aka', besides,lamps,pipes and drums. In the urban areas,there areas,there are
small groups of potters who specialise in making the image of $indu deities like Durga,Kali and Saraswati,etc)
The artisans often display an astute artistic sense in making the images,which fetch them handsome amounts. In
off season,they make beautiful dolls,toys,etc.,and sell in the nearby markets and melas)
In recent years,some schemes have been taken up by the "tate Khadi and >illages Industries
!oard,Assam,with a view to encouraging the village potters to switch over from their traditional items of
products to the production of glaFed pottery wares,bricks and tiles which have better marketing potentially. Te
!oard has been providing for training facilities to the artisans. $owever,impact of these schemes on the pottery
industry in the "tate is yet to be felt on a wide scale
*iv+&am'oo and Cane (or)s : Among the traditional crafts,the making of bamboo and cane products is
perhaps most universally practised by all sections of the people throughout the "tate. Its products may be termed
as #pure handicrafts# in which even elementary mechanical device is not used. Its products have wide range of
uses and as such are commonly found in every household.
7o definite records are available to establish the antiquity,history and origin of this craft in Assam. !ut it
can be safely assumed that the crafts is being carried on since the very dawn of civiliFation.
;ike other handicrafts,the bamboo and cane products of Assam earned

4/. %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt. of Assam2 "tatisti!al Hand Book, Assam, 4BB?, p. 46564,
4BB., p.440.
I7%8"T-I&" ..4
wide appreciation in the past. 1e find mention of the use of ##well decorated and coloured Sital Pati *cool mat+##
usually made of cane. )tolemy stated that canes were grown and used as bridge. In Harsa Charita,there is a
mention of bamboo cultivation and its uses for various purposes. ##!ana testifies to this highly developed crafts.
$e states that !haskara sent to $arsa baskets of variously coloured reeds,thick bamboo tubes and various birds
in bamboo cages##.
4?
:rom this it may be inferred that this craft was highly developed in the past not only in the
production of utility articles but also of the articles of great artistic value.
This craft is now mainly a household industry and occupies an important place among the handicrafts of
the "tate. It provides a subsidiary occupation to the cultivators and fulltime occupation to the highly skilled
artisans who produce only fine decorative baskets,furniture and mats,etc.,on commercial scale.
The making of bamboo products is mainly a rural industry. It is commonly pursued by the agriculturists
in their spare time as a subsidiary occupation. Its heavy concentration in the rural areas may primarily be
attributed to the availability of bamboos in the villages and the very high demand for various bamboo
products,such as ,mats,baskets,fishing contraptions,etc.,in every rural household. The essential equipments
required for the industry are dao and knife which are invariably found in every family. The manufacturing
activities are generally carried out outdoor and all the members of the family,both male and female,take part in
it. $owever,the male members of the family predominate. (ost of the products,manufactured in such
household,are meant for domestic use and only a small percentage of the products are sold in the markets. The
professional artisans who follow this trade as a whole time occupation sell their products in the markets. .a$i,the
headgear which is produced on commercial scale,are of various designs and siFes. The 9a$is ornamented and
embroidered with different designs were indicative of the dignity and social status of those who used them in the
past. Although use of such .a$is is no longer in vogue now,the embroidered and ornamented .a$is are still
considered as precious possession by the rich and poor alike. (any varieties of # .a$is' such as 'Halua .a$i,Pitha
.a$i',Sorudoiya .a$i,'Bordoiya .a$i','Can .a$i: etc.,are produced in the undivided districts of
Kamrup,7agaon,%arrang,"ibsagar and ;akhimpur. 7albari and its neighbouring villages such as
Kamarkuchi,(ughkuchi,etc.,deserve special mention in respect of manufacturing of '*ulam .a$is' *decorated
bamboo umbrellas+. A village named 9apisagia situated at a distance of about A kms.from TeFpur in "onitpur
district is

4?. P)C) Choudhury + (he History if Ci"ili;ation of the Peo$le of Assam to the (welfth Century, A)D), 'uwahati,
4BAB, p. ?6=
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ../
famous for .a$i production. In the 7agaon district,the best '.a$is are made at Kandali,8riagaon,9agi and
Kathiatoli.
!amboo mats of various types are also manufactured on a commercial basis in the undivided districts of
7agaon,%arrang and 3achar. ;arge scale commercial production is reported from Karimgan< district where mats
are locally known as #dhara', 9haria or darma and thousand of people are engaged in this craft. In the district of
%arrang and 7agaon such mats are produced from the dried stalks of various kinds of marshy plants and
weeds,while in the district of 3achar,it is produced out of bamboo slips. The mats are of three kinds, kath,dhari,
and $ati) Kath mats are woven in a wooden frame and the better kinds are made from the kuhila plant
*aes!hynomeno as$era+. 3heaper varieties are made from murtha %marantha dis!hotoma' and hogal %ty$ha
angustifolia') The essential equipments required for the industry are dao and knife. !amboo mats are extensively
used for various purposes like construction of temporary walls and sheds,big pandals,roofing of country
boats,dwelling houses,screens,etc. !esides domestic uses,mats are also required by big mills and factories for
various uses.
Karimgan< is the only district in Assam where umbrella handle is manufactured on a commercial basis. It
is new addition to the list of other bamboo products of the "tate. An umbrella handle making cooperative
society is functioning in the village )aldahar under -atabari )olice "tation of the Karimgan< district. The "tate
'overnment has recently opened a training centre for imparting training to the artisans on umbrella handle
making at %idhnai in 'oalpara district.
The making of cane products is an important and growing cottage industry of the "tate which abounds in
cane. &xtrication of the throny cane from the thick <ungles is a difficult task. The forest authorities grant leases to
the ,ahaldars to extricate cane from forests. The tolls and implements required for the industry are mainly dao
and knife and it is an only in the making of furniture that few hummers,pliers or princes,etc.,are required. The
industry requires a certain amount of skill even in producing articles of day to day use but the production of the
furniture and other products of artistic value calls for a high degree of skill. In the manufacture of cane
furniture,undivided 3achar district en<oys a special advantage over other districts of the "tate in so far as skilled
artisans are concerned. !ut the skill has been recently developed among the artisans of 7agaon,%arrang and
"ibsagar also. The craft has commercial production in almost all the important urban areas of the "tate.
The main product of the cane industry is the plucking basket which is required in large numbers every
year by the tea gardens. As the tea planters find it convenient to purchase in bulk,and the small establishments of
artisans find it difficult to meet their requirements,the supply of the plucking baskets have become the monopoly
of the few farms that can afford to produce the
I7%8"T-I&" ..?
baskets on a large scale. %eprived of this market, the petty artisans look to the needs of the individual consumers
and manufacture various types of furniture and sundry articles like boxes, cradles, canestool * murrha', office
trays, tiffin baskets, bottle carriers,bicycle baskets, waste paper baskets, cane charis, etc.
The potentiality of making bamboo and cane products on commercial basis is quite considerable in the
"tate. There is a good demand for its products and raw materials required for it are also available in plenty in the
"tate. The dearth of skilled workers or technical guidance has limited scope of development of this industry to a
great extent.
8nder 3ane and !amboo Industry, an amount of -s. B,4.,555.55 was disbursed as grants and loans by
the Assam Khadi and >illage Industries !oard in 4BB.BA against -s.?,/4,555.55 in 4BB?B.. (oreover, 60A
centres of this branch of industry with an employment of A5?. produced goods worth -s. 4=A.5/ lakh in 4BB.
BA against -s. 4=4..= lakh, the value of total production made in B4A centres by engaging .?=0 persons in 4BB?
B..
4.

The Assam 'overnment marketing 3orporation and the 7&$$%3 have taken up various steps to
modernise the bamboo and cane industry in Assam and to expand its market. The "tate 'overnment has set up
sales emporium for the products of bamboo and cane industry in places like "hillong, 3alcutta and %elhi.
Assam#s cane and bamboo products are exported to countries like 8.".A. :rance and 9apan. 'Sital $ati' from
3achar has captured the market in the (iddle &ast.
"*# &rass and &ellmetal Industr+ : The brass and bell metal industry was highly developed throughout
Assam in the past. The skill of artisans who worked on metals in the past is well proved by the existing remains
of a copper temple at "adiya and copper plates issued by the rulers. 3opper and brass cups of 'oalpara district
known as Kansas are products of Assam of great significance. The industry has suffered decay and is confined
only to a few places like 3hatia, !acheria, (odopi, !ihaguri, (angaldai and )atharughat in individed %arrang
district, 9apargaon, Telekisinga, !okalma<gaon, 9api $a<ia, 'horbund and 9arwa in undivided ;akhimpur
district@ Konwaritol, -aha, 9agial, "amaguri and mau;as of !arbhagiya and Khaualgaon in undivided 7agaon
district@ Kaka<an, Titabar in 9orhat district, and "arthebari in !arpeta district, $a<o, -angia in Kamrup district.
Df all these places, bell metal and brass utensils of $a<o and "arthebari is widely acclaimed as the best
throughout the "tate. The number of artisans engaged in the industry is also very small. !ell metal utensils are
cast in moulds but brass vessels are made of thin sheets and pieced together. The articles

4.. %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt. of Assam,. "tatistical $and !ook, Assam, p. 44046@ 4BBA,p.
4/./A.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ...
manufactured by artisans mainly consist of utensils and vessels of day to day domestic use,such as # lota' *flattish
bowl with narrow neck+, an-kahi *plate with stand+ ,thagi *high plate+, an-gilas *tumbler with holding
stand+,kharahi *throughholed tub+, #kalah' *<ar for holding water+, 'sarai' *high tray',saria *tub+, #temi# *small
container to carry lime+, 'thali' *large vessel for boiling rice+,bell metal spoons,tumbler, kahi *dish+, etc. (irrors
made of shinning metals were also in use in the past. &ven now these mirror called da$on or dar$an are used by
the bride and bridegroom during marriage.
$istorically,the bell metal industry dated back to the 6
th
century A.%.when the illustrious Ahom kings
greatly patroniFed this industry with an unfailing Feal which was subsequently followed by an effective
patronage by the heads of monasteries and landed aristrocracy. The patronage by the kings and their progenitors
obviously helped the growth and development of this craft in Assam. The products of the industry soon found
extensive markets in the neighbouring countries of 7epal,!hutan and Tibet. It is a legend that king !haskar
>arman sent a part of 'hortal' a product of bell metal,to $arshvardhan, the king of 7orth India in the 6
th
century
A.%.as a token of his princely affection for him. Another Ahom king, Swargadeo "iba "ingha,in recognition of
the artistic genius of 9iudhan Kahar of "arthebari for making unique bellmetal products,give him a 'tamra$atra'
with the title #Kahar 3houdhury# and .5 ighas of revenuefree land.
Assam#s bellmetal industry is chiefly confined to few areas,namely Titabar,-aha and "arthebari. Though
the highest concentration being still in "arthebari,a substanial segment of the people engaged in the industry has
almost abandoned it and got engaged in agricultural pursuits and other vocations. The most important feature of
the bell metal industry is that the bulk of units %kahar sal' engaged in production are run on partnership basis as
a result of the ageold system. In each unit,normally four or five artisans pool their resources under a common
production programme,known as 'kahar-haiga' or o9a$ali) The artisans mutually decide to work under the
master artisan #Kahar' or #<9a',who owns the tools and implements in such establishments and manages
everything under him. The rest of the workers are known as 'Bhaigas') In these units,in fact,the workers are not
entitled to receive direct wages as the income is shared by them on the basis of mutually agreedupon rations.
The haigas normally get equal share and the main Kahar usually gets one and a half times the share of a
Bhaigas owing to his exclusive right of ownership over the implements needed for production. In the event of
the Kahar's death,either the productive unit is disbanded or a new Kahar is called upon to keep the unit running.
The Assam 3ooperative !ell(etal 8tensils (anufacturing "ociety,"arthebari,has been in existence
since 4B?B.5. It was started with a view to promoting the economic and craftsmanship interests of the members
by supplying
I7%8"T-I&" ..A
them raw materials,equipments and other facilities required for the industry. The bellmetal industry in the
"arthebari area remained in good stead for quite sometimes as it could provide employment to a few thousand
local artisans in some /A5 operating units. The number of such units has,however,declined to about 4/5 in recent
years. These units received a substantial portion of their supplies,say about 65=5 per cent of the total metal
consumed,in the form of scrap from local traders on the stipulation that they would return the finished products
to them which were to be moulded and processed according to specifications. The traders received not only the
finished products from the artisans after payment of their wages but also collected the residual metal. The
payment to the artisans was on piece work basis and they were no better than mere wageearners. "ometimes
deferred payments were forced upon the artisans and at times they had to accept less payment from the
traders,on the plea of lack of sale of products. The traders in a way en<oyed the exclusive monopoly of marketing
the products and this grabbed the entire profit accruing from the sales.
The 3ooperative "ociety in "arthebari,too,supplied raw materials to the memberartisans of the society
for the manufacture of finished products and got them back after payment of wages to them. $owever,due to
inadequate working capital,the society could not supply even /5 per cent of the total requirements of raw
materials to member artisans. 'enerally,the making charges of a variety of bellmetal product fixed by the
traders and the 3oopeartive "ociety were identical. $owever,in case of the society,the making charges were
more or less assumed irrespective of whether the sales were brisk or slack.
The area of operation of the 3ooperative "ociety is around "arthebari. The marketing of the finished
bellmetal products is carried on independently through its branches at 'uwahati,9orhat, 7orth
;akhimpur,TeFpur and %ispur as well as through a "ales %epot in the "arthebari area. The Tinsukia branch is
now closed.
The bellmetal industry is declining in importance because of heavy investment of working capital,high
cost of rawmaterials which is beyond the financial capacity of the artisans,a situation which leads itself to the
exploitation of the artisans by the merchants and traders. "arthebari and $a<o are the most important centres of
this industry. There is good demand for their products throughout the "tate. !ut the artisans are not in a position
to buy improved tools to produce improved goods to meet the demand.
$a<o is also a centre of this traditional handicraft of rare artistic design having more than ?55 artisans
families with about,/,555 people completely dependent on the handicraft for their livelihood.
The brass and bellmetal industry has also been facing stiff competition from substitutes which are
cheaper and a bit more attractive. A wide range of stainless steel products and other types of utensils are
generally preferred by
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ..0
the consumers due to the exorbitant price of brass and belt metal utensils and the simultaneous availability of
cheap and attractive machine made utensils which are abundant in the market. 1hile,with the advancement of
science and technology,the consumer preference are rapidly changing,the artisans of bell metal industry are
following old designs and indigenous methods. (odern techniques of production such as electrical moulding,
casting, polishing, etc.,are still unknown to the artisans and they continue to follow the primitive and
cumbersome process.
8nder the Industrial policy of the 'overnment of Assam,4B=0,a 3ommittee was set up to study the issue
and problems involved in the recognisation and moderniFation of the bell metal and brass metal industries in
Assam. The 3ommittee took up steps for the benefit of 45,55 artisans engaged in more than ?55 units of bell
metal industry in Assam. To ensure the regular supply of raw materials to the artisans engaged in the bell metal
and brass metal industries at "arthebari and $a<o respectively,the (inerals and (etal Trading 3orporation
*((T3+,'overnment of India,set up a raw materials depot at 'uwahati. Artisans are being sent places like
(oradabad and )atna for training and honing of skills.
"*i# &la$)smit+ :
!lacksmithy is an important and common household industry in Assam. It is invariably found as the
hereditary occupation of the household concerned. The son works as an apprentice and receives training under
his father and the skill is thus carried down from generation to generation.
In the plain districts,the ironsmith is known by the term 'Kamar' one of the nine professional caste
groups %7aasaka') The #Kamars' do not like to be designated as such but prefer to continue to retain their old
caste which,they claim,have descended from 8iswakarma)
In the olden days,the principal articles of production of this industry included agricultural
implements,domestic tools,weapons,besides the tools of the craft like anvil,hammers,chisels,etc. Time has
brought about many farreaching changes in our social and economic life but some of the tools and implements
have come down through the ages to us exactly in their original shapes. The usual products of blacksmithy
presently found all over the "tate are simple agricultural implements like ploughshare,sickle,hoe and various
implements of daily use such as 'dao' knife,axe,etc. Apart from the manufacturing of these products,the
blacksmiths also undertake repair and other servicing works.
!lacksmithy establishments are found in both rural and urban areas but generally the industry is more
concentrated in urban areas. 8sually the rural establishments are scattered and one establishment often serves the
need for several villages. !ut occasionally concentrations are also found in rural areas
I7%8"T-I&" ..6
such as village Karanga in "ibsagar district. "uch areas are found to be inhabited by a large number of
hereditary blacksmiths for generations. :or example,the blacksmiths of Karanga have been working in the
village from several generations and are only branches of the same family. It is said that in days of Ahom rule,the
blacksmiths of Karanga were specially appointed for manufacturing artilleries. The blacksmith of Karanga take
pride in their ancestors whom they claim to be the manufacturers of the biggest cannon still found displayed in
the compound of the court building at "ibsagar.
It is found that most of the artisans are working in an unorganised way. Dnly recently a few cooperative
societies have been organised and the impact of their activities on the artisans are yet to be sen. The urban units
generally provide wholetime employment and principal occupation while their rural counterparts provide only
part time and subsidiary occupation to the workers.
The chief raw materials for the industry are steel and soft iron imported from outside the "tate. A
considerable demand for raw materials is also met from scrap iron. The chief fuel is coal but some of the
blacksmiths use charcoal as well which is available from local merchants all over the "tate. -ural blacksmiths
sometimes burn logs of wild timbers and prepare charcoal for their own use. The tools and implements used by
the blacksmiths are very simple. A pair of sledge hammers,cold chisels,files,a furnace with bellows are all that
they need for their working.
"*iii#,old and Sil*ersmit+ :
The industry of goldwashing in the beds of Assam rivers like the "ubansiri,The !rahmaputra and the
!uridihing yielded considerable quantities of gold at one time. The industry suffered a gradual decay in course
of time,because the amount of labour and strain involved in gold washing could hardly be compensated by
selling the little quantity of gold dust collected from the river beds. The following account of gold washing and
<ewelery industries that flourished in some districts of Assam in the past,makes an interesting reading. An
important industry of the Ahom period was gold washing and manufacture of <ewelery. 'old was washed from
the sands of the !rahmaputra. (any people were engaged in gold washing. They had to pay to the royal
exchequer one tola of gold per head per year. 'old could be procured from the sand at all places on the banks of
the !rahmaputra. According to the reports on the Administration of Assam 4=B/B?,and 4B545/,the rivers of
Assam which yielded gold were those of the %arrang and ;akhimpur districts north of the !rahmaputra,the
!rahmaputra itself in its upper course,the 7oa%ihing and a small stream called 9agle,which rises in the Tipam
hills and falls into the !uri%ihing. In the "ibsagar district,the %hansiri,the %esoi and the 9hansi were
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- ..=
said to be auriferous. Dut of these streams,the !harali,the %ikrang and the "ubansiri in %arrang and ;akhimpur
seem to have formerly given the largest quantities.
4A
According to the TeFpur 'rant,##The river ;auhitya carried
down gold dust from the gold bearing boulders of the Kailasa mountain.##
40
It is also recorded that >anamala
rebuilt the fallen golden temple of Si"a %Hataka Sulin'in $aruppesvara. It is probable that the reference in the
Arthasastra *II,KII+to a variety of gold called Hataka,extracted from the mines of the same name,has a bearing
on this and that such a mine might have existed in the mountains lying to the north of modern TeFpur or at the
foot of the $imalayas.
46
The histories of the invasion of !akhtiyar again state that there was a huge image of
gold,enshrined in a temple where the invader took refuge when he was surrounded by the Kamrupa army.
According to -iyaFus"alatin,the gold image in the temple weighed one thousand mounds)
16
'old washing operation was carried out by a guild known as the Sonowal Khel,who paid the
'overnment a tax at four annas weight or five rupees worth of gold per annum. The "tate derived considerable
income from the yearly tax levied on gold washing. In the early part of the !ritish rule,gold washing industry
thrived for some time but was given up ultimately as it was expensive and unprofitable.
The industry of 'old and "ilversmithy is mainly concentrated in the urban areas. The artisans are from
families which have been traditionally associated with the industry. The survival of this ageold industry may
primarily be attributed to its higher rates of profit and adaptability to individual tastes, The indigenous <ewelers
exhibit considerable amount of skill and artistic refinement in making golden ornaments such as dugdugi,
goal$ara, loka$ara, muthi, 9oniri, keru, kayur, kankan, kara!hani, ena, angathi, thuria, gamkharu, etc.
'radually,though modern ornaments like chain,necklace,earing,bracelet,tikli,etc,made their places. "till craving
for old ornaments in kind and design with modern touch still persists. The goldsmiths hail from !engal
constitutes the bulk of the artisans engaged in this industry. Among the indigenous goldsmiths only those who
have adapted themselves to the changing pattern of the <ewelery are still in the line.
"*iii#-ood(or)s and $ar!entr+ : This is one of the important old time industries of Assam. This
industry is seen functioning both on cottage and on smallscale basis. In Assam,the traditional carpenters who
have been the important elements in a village society belong to the community Suter or Sutradhar and there is
mention of this caste in #8edas') "ince time immemorial there forefathers,from whom the mantle has fallen on
them,have been working

4A. &.A. 'ait 2 A History of Assam, 4B06@ p. /6/.
40. ).3. 3houdhury 2 (he History of Ci"ili;ation of the Peo$le of Assam of the (welfth Century A)D), 'uwahati,
4BAB, p. ?6564.
46. Ibid, p. ?64.
4=. Ibid, p. ?64.
I7%8"T-I&" ..B
on wood. 'enerally, a carpenter earns his living by building houses, manufacturing carts, ploughs, looms,
furniture, icons and boats.
In this context, it may also be mentioned that carved wooden articles were also common in the olden
days such as Palang,Sal$ira,Bar$ira,Para,Dola,&aru Ason,wooden doors, windows, .atar *spinning wheel+ and
Karoni) ;ocal craftsmen can also produce carved benches, chairs, thagi or bookrest,stools, etc. The finer sense
of artistic beauty among the wood workers can also be traced from the manufacture of minor weaving
implements like makol,karhoni,dur$ati,nasani,etc., which were generally ornamented with carving of parrots,
peacocks, monkeys and other floral designs. Although this industry is found in different parts of Assam, yet it is
mainly concentrated in the important city and towns of Assam, such as, 'uwahati, %hubri, 7agaon, etc. (a<uli
7agaon and !arpeta were famous for manufacture of &uru-Ashans, door and window motifs, 7orth 'auhati was
famous for Dola and loom manufacture, %hubri and !arpeta for boat manufacture. (ost of the Satras were
patrons of good Sutra who could manufacture decorated &uru Ashan $ats, (hagis, motifs for wall doors and
windows and wooden figures as well as paint these. In the rural areas, most of the craftsmen carry on this
industry as a subsidiary occupation.
All the artisans of this industry do not possess the required uptodate skill and designs to attract the
customers for their products. Dn the other hand, they require finance for equipments, working capital, factory
sheds and knowledge about improved technique as well as the opportunity to sell their finished products. :or the
improvement of the industry, it is necessary that commonservice facilities in workshop should be provided at
the concentration pockets and raw materials depots be attached to the common service workshops. The Assam
'overnment (arketing 3orporation would find out markets for the products of the artisans and also suggest the
lines of manufacture.
&. Industries and manu.a$tures o. State :
"/# 0ining and Hea*+ Industries :-
"a#Petroleum Industr+ : 8pper Assam is well known as an oil area. The oil found in this area has led to
the installation of four oil refineries in Assam the first at %igboi,the second at 'uwahati,the third at !ongaigaon
and the fourth at 7umaligarh. The existence of petroleum in this area was first discovered in the year 4=/= by
;ieutenant 1ilcox and (r. 3.A.!ruce in 4=?6,(a<or 1hite also reported to have located several oil springs on
the 7amrup river.
An attempt was made in about 4=00 by (r.'oodenough of (c.Killop, "tewart and 3ompany to utilise
the petroleum of Assam. $e was granted certain rights over a large tract of land on both sides of the %ihing
river,from !uri%ihing to 7oa%ihing. The first successful
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .A5
strike at oil took place at (akum near (argherita on /0
th
(arch,4=06 at a depth of 44= feet,and about ?55
gallons *4?0?,66 litres+ of oil were collected. This well was the first successful mechanically drilled oil well in
Asia,though it had only a brief life. :ollowing this as many as eight holes seem to have been bored in (akum
area,some of them being successful producers of oil. 7otwithstanding these results,(r.'oodenough was not
successful in establishing a petroleum industry.
"ubsequently,(essrs !almer ;aurie and company,a syndicate of private gentleman and the Assam
-ailway and Trading 3ompany were granted certain rights. In 4==/,while constructing the railway line from
%ibrugarh to ;edo,petroleum was discovered at %igboi and exploitation of fields was started by the Assam
-ailway and Trading 3ompany in 4=0B. The first well at %igboi drilled in 4==BB5 marked the birth of the oil
industry in India. The 3ompany also established small refineries of an experimental character first at %igboi in
4=B? and later at (argherita in 4B=0. In 4=BB,wells had been drilled,the Assam Dil 3ompany was formed and in
the following year the new 3ompany with a capital of ?45555 pounds came into existence with the ob<ect of
taking over the oil concessions and the plant of the syndicate and of the Assam -ailway and Trading 3ompany.
As the oil wells near %igboi have more favourable results, a large refinery was erected by the Assam Dil
3ompany near the oil bearing strata and gradually the <ungle was reclaimed to make room for the beautiful oil
town of %igboi. Dil -efinery at %igboi started functioning in %ecember,4B54 and supplemented the refinery
built earlier at (argherita. !ut lack of adequate finance stood in the way of further expansion of the 3ompany#s
*A.D.3.+activities and as a result,the production of oil declined to 4.,555 gallons *0?A05 litres+per day in 4B/5
from 4=,555 gallons *=4=/0./+per day in 4B4B.
!y 4B/5,after years of urgent drilling for more oil,the 3ompany completed only =5 wells and the time
came when it could not carry on without strong financial backing. The !urma Dil 3ompany,in 4B/4,took over
the management of the Assam Dil 3ompany and with it came much needed financial backing,technical skill and
organisational experience. )roduction gradually rose to ?5,555 gallons *=4=/0/ litres+per day in 4B?4.
4B
%uring the period from 4B?. to 4BA/,the production of the Assam Dil 3ompany remained more or less
static varying from 4=.4=6 thousand gallons *=?00.A to =A5/=/ litres+per day,owing to the difficulty of
increasing the output from the depleting oil fields.
(ore than 4555 wells have been drilled in the area. The %igboi -efinery produces unusually wide
variety of petroleum products. Till 4B00,more than a million tonnes of crude oil had been supplied by the %igboi
oil fields and the current production stands between 465,555 to 4=5,555 tonnes a year. The oil reserves which
have been exploited continuously for a period of B5 years are expected to be exhausted within this century. The
crude is refined in

4B. ).3. 3houdhury 2 (he #!onomi! De"elo$ment of Assam, 4B0?, pp. 4AB05.
I7%8"T-I&" .A4
the 3ompany#s oil refinery at %igboi. The -efinery has an annual capacity of 5..0 million tonnes of crude and
the balance of its crude requirement is met from the supplies of 7aharkatia and (oran fields.
The next and most important oil field in the "tate was discovered at 7aharkatia in %ibrugarh district.
The discovery of oil at 7aharkatia was a momentous event in the history of Indian petroleum industry for it
opened up a new vista of oil exploration in the alluvial areas within the country. Dther oil fields had also been
discovered at $oogri<an and (oran. 'eophysical work in the 7aharkatia area was undertaken as early as in
4B/?. 1hen it become feasible to drill wells below 45,55 feet *?5.= metres+,some seismic work was carried out
in the area to locate the most favourable site for drilling the fast well. !ut 1orld 1ar II intervened and the
'overnment imposed a moratorium and prohibited exploratory drilling except for providing the extension of the
%igboi field. $owever,after the 1ar a prospecting licence was granted to the Assam Dil 3ompany to resume
exploration works.
)reparation for exploration of oil at 7aharkatia was made in the year 4B04 and drilling of well 7o.4 at
7aharkatia commenced on (ay,/0,4BA/. "eventy five wells were drilled upto %ecember,4B05. The deepest well
in the area is 4?,505 feet *?B65.0= metres+. The number of wells drilled in the 7aharkatia area rose to 4.. in
August. In the (oran Dil field ?5 wells were drilled till August,4B0.. The discovery of oil at 7aharkatia
accelerated the rate of oil exploration and led in 4BA0 to the drilling of a test well. !ut owing to the greater depth
of oil bearing strata in the area drilling takes much longer time at (oran than at 7aharkatia.
The estimated gross reserves of oil in the 7aharkatia and (oran fields are .=.=6 million tonnes. The oil
fields are being developed by the Dil India ;td.to produce ?.54 million tonnes of crude annually in the refineries
at %igboi,'uwahati and !angaigaon in Assam and !arauni in !ihar.
All the wells drilled by the Assam Dil 3ompany so far in 7aharkatia and (oran areas are under Dil
India ;td. The total area of operation of Dil India in 7aharkatia,7aharkatia&xtension,$oogri<an and (oran
covered by the mining lease was about A45.?A square miles *4?/4.=5 sq.kms.+. The %oom%ooma prospecting
exploration licence area under Dil India ;td.consisted of about 4/B4 square miles *??.?.0= kms.+.
(ore recently,the oil and 7atural 'as 3ommission has also been very active and has struck rich deposits
of oil at -udrasagar,;akwa,Teok,'eleki and between 9orhat and 'olaghat. It is anticipated that -udrasagar
would produce at the rate of 5.A5 million tonnes a year. According to a recent estimate,the reserves in ;akwa
field may be of the order of .A million tonnes,even though the full extent of the fields has not been demarcated
yet. An additional / million tonnes a year is expected from the oil fields of -udrasagar, ;akwa, Teok, 'eleki,
Kusi<an and between 9orhat and 'olaghat. This additional production may require
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .A/
an investment of about -s.05 crores inclusive of exploratory work.
It is estimated that about AA per cent of the local geographical area of Assam is made up of sedimentaries
and can be considered as potentially oil bearing. In 4B0?,Assam produced B./. lakh tonnes of petroleum crude
which accounted for nearly A= per cent of the country#s oil production. At present,Assam produces about A5 per
cent of the total crude oil production in the country. The production of crude oil was ?,AAB thousand tonnes in
4B6?,increased to ?,6?A thousand tonnes in 4B6.. The production further increased to .=.0 lakh tonnes in 4BB.
due to intensive exploration conducted on priority basis. The table below shows production of petroleum crude
utilised in Assam for past few years.
/5
)roduction of )etroleum *3rude+in Assam.

Eear *)etroleum crude *in lakh tonnes+
4B05 I.... ..0
4B0/ I... 0.=?
4B0? I... B./.
4B65 I... ??.0
4B64 I... ?A..
4B6A I... .4.B
4B=4 I... .?.=0
4B=A I... .6.B5
4BB4 I... .=.?=
4BB/ I... .6.5?
4BB? I.... .6.?6
4BB. I.... .=.04

The crude petroleum industry in Assam according to latest trend is on the rise and has greatly furthered
the prospect of Assam#s economic development and that of the country as a whole. This can be <udged from the
Index table given below 2

/5. *i+ /ndustrial Programme for the *ourth Plan for Assam by national 3ouncil of Applied &conomic research,
p. /6.
*ii+ %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt. of Assam 2 #!onomi! Sur"ey :
4B6=6B,p. ... and Statisti!al Hand Book, 4B==, p.4.5@ 4BBA,p. 4?A.
I7%8"T-I&" .A?
INDE1 O2 CRUDE PETRO3EU0 PRODUCTION IN ASSA0
*!ase4B65L455+
3lassification 1eight 4BB5 4BB4 4BB/ 4BB? *)+
4 / ? . A 0
3rude )etroleum ==.0? 4.0 4.. 4.5 4.4
"ource C Statisti!al Hand Book, Assam,4BB.
,u(aati Re.iner+ :- It is situated at 7oonmati area of 'uwahati city. This refinery has been set up in the
public sector in collaboration with -umania. The construction work of the -efinery started in 4BAB. Dn 9anuary
4
st
4B0/,the refinery was inaugurated by ;ate 9awaharlal 7ehru,then )rime (inister of India. 'uwahati -efinery
id the first public sector refinery in India.
This -efinery,like the -efinery at !arauni in !ihar refines the crude oil found at 7aharkatia,$oogri<an
and (oran in 8pper Assam. The crude oil from 7aharkatia comes through Dil India ;imited *!ulk supply+to the
-efinery. The crude oil from 7aharkatia oil fields are carried through pipelines over distance of .55 kilometres.
This pipe line is capable of transporting to 'uwahati a quantity of /.6A million tonnes of crude oil a year. In all,
from 7aharkatia to !arauni,there are B pumping and 46 repeater stations. The pipeline is highly automatised and
it has uptodate telecommunication,telemetering and telecontrol equipments. !ut with more pumping stations the
pipe line can carry upto ..55 million tonnes per year in its second leg. A crude conditioning plant to facilitate the
pumping of the 7aharkatia crude has also been set up at %ulia<an in 8pper Assam at a cost of -upees two crores.
The Dil and 7atural gas 3ommission also supplies crude oil to the 'uwahati -efinery from the newly found
-udrasagar oil fields.
The Indian -efineries ;td.,'uwahati,are engaged in processing 5.6A million metric tonnes of crude oil
per year. The -efinery produces nine items of production and the table below shows some of the present pattern
of production of petroleum products in the -efinery and the amounts likely to be produced after expansion.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .A.
Item
&xpansion *in tonnes+
)resent production
*In tonnes+
)roduction after
'asoline 4,05,555 /,B.,0555
"uperior and inferior
Kerosine 4,0.,555 /,.5,A55
Two varieties of diesel oil 4,=.,555 /,0B,=55
)etroleum coke. ?B,555 A6,/55
Aromax ?0,555 A/,=55
-efiner gas and losses. A.,555 6B,/55
;.).'. A,555 6,555
to to
6,555 45,555
:uel. I....... 4,4?,555

Apart from the crude distillation 8nit,the 'uwahati -efinery also has a Kerosene -efining 8nit 7ad
3ooking 8nit. It also produces gas now being flared. A plant is there to utilise this gas and produce the
liquidified petroleum gas for cooking purposes.
The cooking unit produces about ?B,555 tonnes of calcined petroleum coke per annum. The portion of
reduced crude that forms croke is solidified though a cooking process,later cut into pieces by a hydraulic drill.
The -efinery at 'uwahati has a products pipeline running from 'uwahati to "iliguri through which all
the white products which cannot be marketed in Assam area,are transported. This product pipeline has been
commissioned in Dctober,4B0.. The ma<or part of the products is pumped through this pipeline to "iliguri and
the remaining quality is distributed in Assam. The refined products are distributed through the marketing
dividion.
'uwahati -efinery which is a resource based 3entral 'overnment )ro<ect has good scope for success in
the field of industrial development of Assam and can support a number of ancillary and subsidiary units,both by
way of supplying stock items and others that would process further their products and byproducts.
The establishment of the 45 crore Dil -efinery of 'uwahati is a landmark in the field of industrial
development in the "tate. According to the -umanian experts,the -efinery can be doubled with an expenditure
of A5J of the present
I7%8"T-I&" .AA
outlay . (oreover,the established of the Dil -efinery has given a fillip to the growth of subsidiary industries
based on carbon gas and wax around 'uwahati and has also created employment opportunities in the "tate.
Re.iner+-$um-Petro Cemi$al Com!le45&ongaigaon :-The foundation stone of this one million tonne
-efinerycum)etro 3hemical 3omplex at !herbheri,A kms,from !ongaigaon was laid by (rs.Indira 'andhi,the
then )rime (inister of India on 9anuary 4B,4B6/. This public sector undertaking,completed in about four years
time at a total cost of over -s.B0 crores,is the biggest industrial pro<ect in !ongaigaon district. The crude is
supplied by Dil and 7atural 'as 3ommission from ;akwa and -udrasagar oil fields. )rovision is there to meet
the additional requirement of crude from 'eleki and 7aFira fields of Dil and 7atural 'as 3ommission. In order
to facilitate the supply of one million tonne of crude oil to !ongaigaon -efinery,the pipeline from 7aharkatia to
!angaigaon was constructed. !esides refining petroleum,this undertaking produces )olyester
film,%.(.T.)olyester,)ar and Drthoscuience and various other petroleum products. Dn the basis of these down
stream products,it will be possible to set up various industries for manufacture of a wide range of sophisticated
industrial goods and consumer items. %.(.T. )olyester fibre is a versatile raw material for manufacture of
terelene and may open up a wide base for the development of textile industry in the "tate either by itself or by
blending with natural fibrescotton,wool and silk. This heavy industry complex in an industrially backward
district like !ongaigaon is expected to usher in an era of industrial prosperity.
Oil India Pi!eline Pro6e$t :-To transport crude oil,the oil India has constructed a 44A/ kms. *46/5
miles+long pipe line from 7aharkatia to !arauni. This pipe line crosses the difficult terrain in Assam,linking the
oil fields in 8pper Assam which refineries at 'uwahati and !arauni. The pipeline which crosses 6= rivers
including the mighty river !rahmaputra was completed in two stages. The pipes running from 7aharkatia to
'uwahati is .5.0. cms,while the line upto !arauni was completed in :ebruary,4B0?. In all,there are one
pumping and 46 repeater stations. The pipeline is capable of carrying /.6A million tonnes of crude a year upto
'uwahati and /.55 million tonnes a year thereafter to !arauni. !ut with greater number of pumping stations the
pipeline can carry upto ..55 million tonnes crude oil per year to 'uwahati and ?./A million tonnes per year in
each second leg. In order to facilitate the supply of one million tonne of crude oil to the !ongaigaon
-efinery,pipeline of the length of 055 kms.has been laid down from 7aharkatia to !ongaigaon by the Dil India
;imited.
Crude Conditioning Plant :-A crude oil conditioning plant has been established at %ulia<an in 4B0/ by
the Dil India at a cost of -s.4.05 crores. The plant facilities pumping of 7aharkatia crude oil. This started
operating at its /AJ before the !arauni -efinery went on stream. In this
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .A0
conditioning plant,crude oil is processed and pumped into the pipeline for onward transmission to the refineries.
The waxy nature of the crude oil from the 7aharkatia and (oran fields with a pour point varying
between /65 and /=5 posed a serious problem of its transmission. !ut in collaboration with !urma Dil 3ompany
;td.and !ritish )etroleum in ;ondon,a process was evolved of making this crude flow event at very low
underground temperatures. The crude was heated to about B5.c. To 455.c. To dissolve all wax nuclei and then
cooled to bring it to the siFe and shape of wax crystals. The <ellying tendency was modified to the extent
necessary to keep it in a liquid state even at very low temperature. A pilot plant was rigged up to determine the
optimum rate of cooling to produce minimum viscosity. The crude is first heated and then cooled down to 0A.c.
!y incoming raw crude in exchanging in the )lant. The crude at 0A.c. Is then pumped into vertical vessels,when
it is cooled,at a predetermined rate. The crude #conditioned# is pumped into the crude storage tanks for
subsequent pumping into the pipeline for despatches to refineries. %uring the cooling period,the desired cooling
curve is obtained by a time schedule controller working in con<uction with a temperature recorder. A high degree
of automation has been introduced in the design of the plant which can be fully operated from a control room.
The main purpose of this plant is to keep the crude #thin# enough for pumping. A similar plant involving
expenditure of -s. 05 lakhs has been set up at (oran in %ibrugarh district.
The installed refining capacity of the oil refineries in Assam are as follows 2

-efinery (illion tonnes annually
%igboi *set up in 4B54+ 5.A5
'uwahati *set up in 4B0/+ 5.=A
!ongaigaon *set up in 4B6/+ 4.?A
7umaligarh *construction started in 4BB/+ ?.55

"et up by the 'overnment of Assam in collaboration with I!) *Indo!urma )etroleum 3ompany+,the
7umaligarh -efinery in the district of 'olaghat is expected to the completed by the end of the twentieth century.
"'#Industries 'ased on Natural ,as :-7atural gas reserved discovered so far in the 7aharkatia and
(oran Dil fields are started to be of the order of //5,555 million cubic metres. A large proportion of this gas
reserve is made up of associated gas only = wells,6 in 7aharkatia and 4 in (oran,are described as gas producers.
The gas of other wells will require processing.
I7%8"T-I&" .A6
The daily output expected to be of the order of /= million cubic metres,of which about A0 million cubic metres
can be consumed by the oil fields themselves. As the oil and gas will be required to be separated in stages,the
composition and the quantum of gas will also vary from stage to stage. $owever,the average analysis of the gas
can be taken as follows.
/4
,as Per $ent

(ethane I.... B5..5
&thane I.... A.5=
Isobutane I.... 5..6
)ropane I.... /.=.
7.!utane I.... 5.0A
Isopantanes
7.)entances I.... 5.A0
$exenesx
3o
/
I.... 7il
7/s I..... 7il

The Assam 'as 3ompany which is a "tate 'overnment undertaking has been formed to undertake the
distribution of the gas of various users as well as to set up a 'as :ractioning plant to provide a base for possible
petrochemical industries. To utilise this gas ,a thermal power station with 0? (1 capacity has been established
at 7amrup. At 7amrup,the :ertiliFer 3orporation of India has constructed a :ertiliFer factory to produce 455,555
tonnes of ammonium sulphate and AA,555 tonnes of urea per year.
A Tindari 'as 'rid has been formed to supply gas to a number of tea gardens of Tingrai circle for
running factories and other allied works. The daily requirement of gas in the above undertakings is of the order
of B million cubic metres@7amrup Thermal )ower "tation A million,7amrup :ertilFer /./ million and Tindari
'as 'rid 4.= million cubic metres. The expansion programme of 7amrup Thermal )ower "tation by another /?
(1 and the production of 45,555 tonnes of carbon black,for which the licence has already been issued,will
require another ? million cubic metres of gas per day.
The production of natural gas which was 464 million cubic metres in 4B04 rose to a level of 45?5
million cubic metres in 4BB/. The table below

/4. /ndustrial Programme for *ourth Plan for Assam by the 7ational 3ouncil of Applied economic -esearch,
p./=.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .A=
shows production of natural gas utilised in Assam for past few years.
//

Eear 7atural gas utilised
*in million cubic metres+

4B65 I.... ?05
4B64 I... ?6A
4B6/ I... .B6
4B6? I... A//
4B6. I... A?B
4B6A I... 0/4
4B60 I.. =.=
4B66 I... B5/
4B6= I... ==B
4B6B I.. B.0
4BB5 I... B=6
4BB4 I... B06
4BB/ I... 45?5
4BB? I... =?=
Namru! 2ertili7er Pro6e$t ::ertiliFer is an important input which is essential for increased agricultural
production. Any programme for increased agricultural production in Assam will have to be based upon fertiliFer
consumption,irrigational facilities and supply of high yielding varieties of seeds. In Assam,where the scope of
expansion of area under cultivation is very limited,emphasis is given to these three factors. The installation of
the fertiliFer factory at 7amrup is a momentous venture in the agroindustrial sector of Assam.
The discovery of a reserve of //5,555 million cubic metres of natural gas in 7aharkatia and (oran oil
fields during the late fifties of this century led to various enquiries about the use of the gas. The 'overnment of
India appointed (M" "nodgrass Associate of the 8nited "tates to study the prospectus of the proper utilisation of
the gas. Their report disclosed that the natural gas can be used of manufacture nitrogenous fertiliFer and for
generation of electricity. The Kane 3ommittee made the final scrutiny of the plan and selected 7amrup as the
site of the fertiliFer factory. The site was finalised in 4B0/ and an import

//. #!onomi! Sur"ey + %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'overnment of Assam p. ?A.
I7%8"T-I&" .AB
licence was issued in the same year. The 'overnment of India assigned the work to (M" $industhan 3hemical
and :ertiliFers. 1hen the :ertiliFer 3orporation of India came into being it was entrusted with the
implementation of the scheme.
7amrup is situated at the foot hills of the 7aga $ills in the eastern part of the %ibrugarh district. This
industrial town is surrounded by tea gardens beyond which the green field stretches for miles. The %illi river,a
tributary of the !rahmaputra,flows nearby.
The 7amrup :ertiliFer :actory is owned by the :ertiliFer 3orporation of India ;td. and is its fiftieth
producing unit. It is the only plant of the :ertiliFer 3orporation of India,where natural gas is used as raw
material. The gas is made available by Dil India ;td.,at a pressure of 454A kg,3m
/
Mto the Assam 'as 3ompany
which is a "tate 'overnment undertaking. In the Assam 'as 3ompany,the pressure further boosted to /A kg.and
is supplied to a battery unit of the :ertiliFer plant at a distance of ?5 kms.by pipeline at a pressure of 4A40 kgs
per 3m
/
M
?
. The same pipeline supplies gas to the nearby Thermal )ower "tation and to some tea gardens. "ulphur
is the other raw materials which is imported through the "tate Trading 3orporation.
The factory is designed to produce annually AA,555 metric tonnes of 8rea,and 455,555 metric tonnes of
Ammonium "ulphate. The total capital outlay is of the order of -s./../0 crores including foreign exchange
components of -s.0.?0 crores. It went to commercial production from 9anuary 4,4B0B.
1ith the rapid rise in the demand for fertiliFers the need for setting up another fertiliFer factory in Assam
was almost imperative. Techno economic surveys conducted to find out suitability of various locations revealed
that the expansion of the existing factory at 7amrup had an edge over the erection of a new factory in any other
location. The expansion pro<ect was approved in 4B06 and construction in 4B0=.
Though this pro<ect has been termed as ##&xpansion##virtually it is a factory by itself having an installed
capacity of 4,A/,555 tonnes nitrogen and ?,?5,555 tonnes of urea per year. The capital outlay of the pro<ect is
-s.A4 crores including a foreign exchange component of over -s.46 crores. "ome of the important features of
the existing plant and the expansion plant are given below 2
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .05

E4isting !lant E4!ansion

Ammonium plantation
capacity /55 tonnes 3apacity 055 tonnes
per day@laid in two per day@laid in single
equal and independent streams.
"treams.
8rea plantation
3apacity 406 tonnes 3apacity 455 tonnes
per day@laid in two per day@laid in two equal
equal and independent and independent streams.
"treams.
7itrogen .A555 tonnes
per annum. 4A/,555 tonnes per annum.
)ower requirement
4. (1 4B (1.
3apital cost -s. /..0 crores. -s.A4 crores approximately.
Total tonnage =555 45,A555

7amrup :ertiliFer :actory is the first Indian fertiliFer factory to use indigenous catalysts developed by
the )lanning and %evelopment %ivision of The :ertiliFer 3orporation of India.
About 05 to =5 per cent of Ammonium "ulphate and /5 per cent of 8rea produced in 7amrup :ertiliFer
:actory are used in Assam. The surplus is sold in 1est !engal,!ihar and 8ttar )radesh. "ale I conducted through
their non "aledepot and recognised agencies. :or dissemination of technical knowhow,literature on various
uses of fertiliFers is prepared by the marketing organisation of the pro<ect and distributed among the farmers.
"$#Coal Industr+ : The existence of coal deposits in 8pper Assam had been known from the early days
of the !ritish occupation of the "tate. It is mentioned in the old 'aFetteer of ;akhimpur that in 4=/A,;ieutenant
1ilock reported that coal was found near !orhat on the %isang river. In 4=/A,about A555 maunds of coal were
quarried by (r.!ruce was dispatched to 3alcutta. The 3oal was pronounced to be equal to &nglish coal and the
best ever found in India. !ut it took time to develop this industry. A geological survey of coal fields was
undertaken by (r.(edlicott in 4=0.0A. In 4=60,(r.(allet who examined the coal fields of 7agaland,divided
the coal measures of ;akhimpur into two fields,(akum and 9aipur. According to him,(akum coal field
contained about eighteen million tons of coals,about half of which could be exploited
I7%8"T-I&" .04
easily but no progress worth mentioning in the exploitation of this mineral could be made until the formation of
the Assam -ailways and Trading 3ompany in 4==4.
The survey of the coal resources of Assam was started by the 3entral :uel -esearch Institute at %hanbad
in 4BA?,and later in 4BA6,the 3oal "urvey "tation for the Assam coal fields was established in temporary
premises at 9orhat. Then it was permanently shifted to -owriah where the -egional -esearch ;aboratory for
Assam has been constructed. The survey and research conducted by the 3.:.-.I and its station at 9orhat has
revealed that Assam coals are very important geologically. The Tertiary coals are found generally to be a rank of
lignite but Assam coals have abnormal properties in so far as they exhibit dual characteristics of a high and of a
low rank coal,and their abnormality is generally attributed to high organic sulphur contents.
0a)um $oal.ield :(akum coal field near (argherita is ?5 kms.long,and about A kms.wide between the
%irak on the west and the hairpin bend on the Tirap river on the east. The coal seams extend eastward from
7amdang,along the two opposite limbs of the east plunging 7amdang syncline. The sourth limb of the syncline
is obscured,at places by the $aflong%isang thrust and consequently the coal seams extending along this are
either highly distorted or totally cut off at intervals.
At present,working collieries in the (akum area are at ;edo,7amdang Tipong and !orgolai. These
collieries are situated in a line among the lower hills about 0.. kms.south of (argherita. The coal field at ;edo
*at Tikak,;edo valley and 8pper ;edo+was discovered in 4==/ and since then it is producing coal of good
quality. The work at 7amdang and Tirap 'rants which formerly belonged to (r.$aly and which paid a small
dead rent in place of royalty,began in 4=B6 and 4B== respectively. The colliery at !orgolai was established in
4B5B and while colliery at Tipong in 4B/..
8ai!ur $oal.ield : The coal bearing strata extends along the western edge of the Tipam $ills. Dutcrops
of the seams are seen along a strip of /A miles *.5 kms.+long,about half of which lie in the "ibsagar district. A
thickness of more than 4? metres of coal in 0 seams is exposed in the %illi river. The coal bearing rocks dip to
the east with high inclination, *?5
5
to =5
5
+. Dn the "ibsagar side,that is,to the west of the %illi -iver,the colliery
has an area of four square mile *45./. sq.kms.+. 3ompared to the coal of (akum field,the %illi coal has as
shown by investigation carried out at the -egional 3oal "urvey "tation at 9orhat,low calorific value and high
oxygen on unit coal basis. The coal so investigated appears to have been oxidised in situ,and it is likely that they
may improve in quality at depth. ;ike all Teritary coals of Assam,the %illi coals are friable and produce high
proportion of fixes.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .0/
Na6ira $oal.ield :-The 7aFira coalfield about /A kms.in length lies about 0.. kms.south of 7aginimara
station up the %ikhou river. &xcept for a small outcrop of coal measure within = kms.of the "affrai railway
station,the coalfield lies in the 7aga $ills. "ince the coal is worked from the "ibsagar district,the 7aFira
coalfield may be conveniently described here.
The thickest coal measures are exposed in the "affrai river where there are A workable seams totaling
about // metres in thickness. The reserves of coal estimated in limited areas of the coalfield,appear to be about
.5 million tonnes.
%ata available from sources other than the -egional 3oal "urvey "tation indicated that the coals are
good quality. They have about A per cent moisture,4 to . per cent ash and / to ? per cent sulphur.
8an6i and Disai Coal de!osits :- The coal bearing on the 9han<i river is quite narrow. 1hile the %isai
lies <ust on the "tate border,the other area stretches further in the 7aga $ills. The seams are few,thin and highly
inclined.
!esides these coalfields,there are also two collieries namely Koila<an colliery and "ibheta located in
Karbi Anglong district. The Koila<an colliery is near $ills and has been in operation since 4B.B. The area of
working operation is about 655 acres.
The output of coal from this colliery is gradually on the decline. $igh mining cost,transportion difficulty
and poor quality of coal render its coal less attractive as compared to coal from ;edo and (argherita coalfields.
The "ilbheta colliery is situated at a distance of ./ kms. :rom %iphu on the %iphu7agaon -oad. Its
base area is /.AB sq.kms. The mining operation in this colliery commenced on 0
th
:ebruary,4B0?. The thickness
of coal seam in this colliery is very low. This coal mine is operated through manual labour. In peak period of
working,it provides employment to ?55 labourers.
Assam products about 4.?J of the total Indian output of coal. !ecause of higher labour cost and greater
difficulties of transport the coast of coal in Assam is higher in comparison to that of other coal producing centres
in India.
The higher sulphur content *about ? to A per cent in contrast to about / per cent in 9haria and -anigan<
fields+,in the coke produced from Assam coal makes it unsuitable for metallurgical purposes except for smelting
sulphuric ores,e.g.,lead copper or Finc. It is also not suitable for boilers. !ut this coal has the unique advantage
of lesser ash content *about / to A per cent as compared to 4A to /5 per cent in 9haria+and higher calorific value.
If a process could be evolved to disulphurise it cheaply,then its demand will naturally show a sharp rise as it will
then be ideally suitable for metallurgical purpose and will also produce much needed sulphur as a byproduct.
I7%8"T-I&" .0?
The overall production of call in Assam was A/.,555 tonnes in 4B04. The coal production was increased to
A6=,555 tonnes in 4B64. There was noticeable increase of coal production during the year 4BB. when it reached
the peak of 4/B/ thousand tonnes.
The following table shows the production of coal from 4B04 to 4B0B.
/?

9ear Produ$tion "in :;;; tonnes#
4B04 I..... A/.
4B0? I..... A=.
4B0A I..... AA5
4B06 I.... ..6
4B0= I..... .B/
4B0B I.... A/4
4B65 I.... A//
4B64 I.... A6=
4B6/ I.... A64
4B6? I.... .64
4B6. I... A56
4B6A I... A=/
4B60 I..... AA=
4B=5 I.... A6A
4B=A I.... =?A
4B=0 I... =0.
4B=6 I... B//
4B== I... 4555
4B=B *)+ I... =.5
4BB5 I... 04/
4BB4 I... B=/
4BB/ I... 450B
4BB? I... 4/.B
4BB. I... 4/B/

/?. *i+ #!onomi! Sur"ey: %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt. of Assam, 4B65, p0=.
*ii+ Ibid, 4B666=, p.?0.
*iii+Ibid, 4B=BB5,p..=.
*iv+ Statisti!al Hand Book, %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt.of Assam,p.4/6.
*v+ Ibid, 4BBA,p.4?A.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .0.
"d#3imestone and Cement : ;imestone occurrence in Assam are confined to 7orth 3achar $ills and
Karbi Anglong districts. The "ylhet limestones continue into the 7orth 3achar $ills across the Kharkor and
Kopili rivers. They are found to cover an extensive area near 'arampani to The northeast of the confluence of
the two rivers. In Karbi Anglong, the principal occurrences are "ilbheta(eyong %isa,3hopung
$ills,9arapagaon,Koila<an !ar $ariha<an and %oigrung. Df these the first two are rather high in iron even though
the reserves are large@reserves in "ilbheta(eyong %isa are ?= million tonnes,in 3hopang $ills 46 million
tonnes and in 9arapagaon 0.A million tonnes. The total reserves between Koila<an and Kidimithapa are of the
order of =4 million tonnes of which .? million tonnes are reckoned as being high in silica. The "tate %irectorate
of 'eology and (ining has proved that ? million tonnes of these limestones are of cement grade. Average
composition of the samples analysed gave,3a5 .6./5 per cent and (g5 4.?5 per cent. "ilica varies between =
and 4/ per cent and alumina and ferric oxide 4 and ? per cent and / and . per cent respectively. In !ar $ariha<an
of Karbi Anglong district,about ..A million tonnes are likely to be available at "aini ;angso,3hota $ariha<an and
%isai 7ala analysing.

;ocality 3a5 (go -/55 Insoluble
*per cent+ *per cent+ *per cent+ *per cent+
"aini ;angso .. to .B 5.6 to 4.0 ?./= to =./B . to =
3hota $ariha<an ?=.=. 5.=4 A./A I.
%isai 7ala ./..? I. 44.5 0.65

&xposures of limestones are known along the %oigrung river 4B kms.south of 'olaghat but the quantity
of reserves have not been estimated. Dne available analysis estimates3a3o
?
6/B5 per cent,(g3o
?
6.?? per
cent,(g5NAl
/
5
?
N:e
/
5
?
B.5 per cent and Insolubes 45.65 per cent.
3ement (anufacture constitutes the most important use of limestone. 7ext in order of importance is its
use as a fluxing agent in the metallurgical industry. Dther uses,apart from lime for building mortar,are in the
manufacture of various chemicals,glass,refining of sugar,oil and as a filler.
The following table shows the production trend of ;imestone in Assam as of late.
/.

/.. Statisti!al Hand Book + Assam 4BBA@ %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt. of Assam,p. 4?A.
I7%8"T-I&" .0A
PRODUCTION O2 3I0ESTONE IN ASSA0
Eear ;imestone
quantity
*#555 (.T.+
4BB4 /0=
4BB/ /.?
4BB? /=.
4BB. ??=

&o)a6an Cement 2a$tor+ : 3ement being an important construction material is required for
development of every sector of the economy. In the eastern region,there is heavy shortage of cement and its
transportation from surplus areas of other parts of the country involves long haulage and heavy railway freights
even though there is no shortage of limestone in the "tate of Assam. "o on the request on the "tate
'overnment,the 'overnment of India agreed to set up a cement factory in the 3entral sector and accordingly the
3ement 3orporation of India was entrusted with the task of implementing the pro<ect at !oka<an in the Karbi
Anglong district with an estimated cost of -s.4..A crores. The factory was set up around 4B64 and it was
completed by the end of the year 4B60. The factory has already gone into production and its production capacity
is 055 tonnes of )ortland cement per day. The factory has provided employment to about 055 persons.
The following table shows production of cement in Assam during the period 4B=A4B=B.

Eear 3ement
4B=A 40B
4B=0 406
4B=6 405
4B== 4A/
4B=B *)+ 400

"ource 2 #!onomi! Sur"ey,%irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics,
'ovt. of Assam,4B=BB5.
"<#3arge and Small S$ale Industries :
"i#3arge S$ale Industries :
Tea Industries :
The history of the tea industry in Assam dates back to the year 4=/0,
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .00
when indigenous tea plants growing in the plains of Assam came to the notice of the &ast India 3ompany. The
cultivation of this plant in the "tate was first introduced in the thirties by the &ast India 3ompany#s
Administration. A tea garden was started by the 'overnment in 4=?? in erstwhile ;akhimpur district. 1ith the
arrival in ;ondon of the fine quality tea from this garden in 4B?=,the commercial circle of the city took a keen
interest in tea plantations in Assam and a company known as the Assam 3ompany was formed in 4=?B to take
over the experimental holdings of the &asy India 3ompany#s Administration over the tea gardens established in
Assam till then. This was the first company in India to undertake the commercial production of tea and was,in
fact,the direct successor of the &ast India 3ompany. A site was cleared from the <ungle at 7aFira which became
and remained as the headquarters of this company until it was shifted to 3alcutta in 4B0A. The official
incorporation of this 3ompany was effected in 4=.A. This company,however,did not attain much prosperity
during the first ten years of its existence. !y about 4=A/,under the management of 'eorge 1illiamson,one of the
great pioneers in tea garden management,its condition began to improve and its success made the prospect of the
industry so promising and attractive that speculators egarly rushed to it . In 4=AB,the second important tea
company,the 9orhat Tea 3ompany was formed. To encourage tea plantation in the province,the 'overnment also
made liberal provisions for the settlement of the waste land for tea cultivation. In the early sixties,many
provisions of the former waste ;and "ettlement -ules were waived. !etween 4=05 and 4=0A,the industry was
the ob<ect of wild speculation. Then came the collapse in 4=00,when all tea properties depreciated and all the
babble concerns burst. "o severe was the situation that a 'overnment 3ommission of &nquiry had to be
appointed. It reported that the industry was basically sound, and by 4=6564 public confidence was restored and
development continued on sounder basis. In 4=6B,further slump occurred following the boom in prices due to a
false rumour of shortage of exports from 3hina. Though condition improved after three years,another slump
occurred for a period between 4=B? and 4B50 because of overproduction. The industry did not recapture its
expansion mood again in the present century. Dn the other hand,great improvements have been made in the yield
per acre under tea,in the grouping of gardens under a limited number of companies,in the progressive
mechanisation and rationalisation of production and in increasing their efficiency in regard to the productivity of
labour.
In 4B44,the Toklai -esearch "tation was established near 9orhat with a view to carrying on research on
cultivation and manufacture of tea. This -esearch "tation has been very useful in disseminating knowledge for
the increase of yield
I7%8"T-I&" .06
for the industry on sounder basis. The tea industry faced another crisis during the :irst 1orld 1ar due mainly to
the release of tea stocks built up during the was years by the !ritish 'overnment,and the consequent fall in
prices. At the suggestion of the Indian Tea Association,the tea gardens in Assam stopped plucking on 4A
7ovember,4B/? to decrease the output in order to improve the price structure. 8p to 4B/6 an era of prosperity
followed,during which modernisation of factories and production techniques made rapid strides. The industry
again faced an acute crisis during the early thirties. This crisis was successfully averted by enacting the Indian
Tea 3ontrol Act,4B??,and instituting an International Tea 3ommittee and Indian Tea ;icensing 3ommittee.
%uring the 1orld war 44,the industry again passed through a boom period and after 4BA4 it reached an
unprecedented prosperity. Then followed a severe crisis in 4BA/ when prices of tea crashed to an extent often
below the cost of production. Among the manifold causes suggested as being responsible for the recession in tea
prices,The most potent ones seemed to be over production in competing countries,a glut in medium and
indifferent grades of tea which could not attract a ready market owing to the cessation of the bulk purchase
system in the 8nited Kingdom,and the impact of the general downward trend in the commodity prices during the
postKorean slum of late 4BA4 and early 4BA/. 3onditions improved considerably in the following year and since
then the tea industry has been en<oying a satisfactory position,although it faced some difficulty due to severe
drought in 4B05.
The Dpening of Tea Auction 3entre at 'uwahati on /A
th
"ept.4B65,augurs a new era for the tea industry
of Assam. (arketing of tea has always been a problem for the products of this region. )reviously the Tea
Auction 3entre at 3alcutta was the only centre of sale for Assam Tea. The imposition of 1est !engal &ntry Tax
on Assam Tea,transport bottlenecks and many more difficulties involved in arranging the sale at 3alcutta
Auction centre,necessitated the opening of the Tea Auction 3entre in Assam which produces the bulk of it.
!oth in acreage and output the tea industry in Assam expanded very rapidly upto the 4B/5J#s. !ut the
increase of acreage slowed down considerably thereafter, though output continued to increased rapidly owing to
a high yield per acre. The Toklai &xperimental "tation has been helping the tea estates to increase their yields by
improved techniques and cultivation and by control of diseases and pests affecting the plants. The coarser
plucking,since the "econd 1orld war,has also contributed greatly to the higher yield per acre.
Dnly about one quarter of the total area of the tea estates is actually
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .0=
planted with tea. &ven admitting that some portion of the garden land had been utilised or reserved for other
purposes,eg.,far factories,quarters for employees,future expansion,forests.etc.,and that some portion is unsuitable
for plantation or other cultivation,large tracts or waste land are still available in the tea estates. "ome portion of
this waste land might be devoted to cultivation of other crops like paddy,wheat,cotton,hemp and medicinal herbs.
:rom the very beginning of tea plantation in Assam,the planters have faced great difficulties in securing
the necessary labour force. The experiment with immigrant 3hinese labour in the early days proved a complete
failure due to the high cost of requirement and maintenance and to the difficulties in their management. ;ocal
labourers were not available in sufficient number. There was also the risk of their desertion. It thus became
necessary to bring labourers from other parts of India in large number to cope up with the expansion of the tea
plantations in Assam. As a result of continuous inflow of immigrant labourers,there are now large number of tea
garden labourers in the tea producing regions of the "tate. "ome of the labourers have settled down in the farm
lands near the tea gardens. After the expiry of the term of their contract,many of them have taken up ordinary
cultivation. The tea acreage has not increased proportionately to the increase in the number of tea garden
labourers and as a result it has no longer been possible to give employment to all the labour force in the garden
areas. There is thus a large surplus of labour in the tea areas of Assam. These labour can be utilised in food
crop,fibre and medicinal plant production.
Among the Indian "tates,Assam has the largest acreage under tea,producing the highest quantity and
employing the highest number of labourers.
:ollowing tables give various data on tea industry of the "tate.
/A

/A. *i+ (ea Statisti!s, 4B6.6A.
*ii+"tatistical Abstract, Assam, %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt, 'ovt.of Assam, 4B6=,
p.4A..
*iii+Statisti!al Hand Book, Assam) 4B6=,p.4A..
*iv+ Ibid, 4B==,p.4?4.
*v+ Ibid, 4BBA,p. 4/B.
I7%8"T-I&" .0B
A-&A A7% )-D%83TID7 D: T&A I7 A""A(
Eear 7o.of tea
estates
Area in
hectares
Total
)roduction
in thousand
kg.
Average yield
per hectare
in kg.
%aily aver
age no.of
labour
employed.
4BA4 6=A 4AA.06. 4A5.?65 I. I.
4B04 6.. 40/,?06 4=/,?44 I. I.
4B0= 6A= 460,=4/ /5/,04. 4,4.0 ?==,=./
4B0B 6A= 46B,.46 /5.,6?= 4,4.4 ?=0,?A4
4B65 6A4 4=5,50A /4/,5/6 4,46= ?B.,.45
4B64 6A5 4=/,?/A //?,00A 4,4/6 ?B6,?65
4B6/ 6A4 4=.,/.. 4?B,/50 4,/B= ?B0,?40
4B6? 6A4 4=A,44? /A4,=/A 4,?05 ?B=,6/A
4B6. 6A. 4=6,.5= /0A,/=4 4,.40 .54,40B
4B6A 6A0 4==,6B. /0?,5AA 4,?B? .5/,555
4B60*)+ 7.A. 4=B,??= /60,?5= 4,.AB I........
4B=5 666 /,55,A0B ?55,655 4,.BB ..=,B.B
4B=. =5= /,4.,6.4 ??=,A?? 4,A60 .6.,=A4
4B== =.= /,/6,A46 ?0B,./= 4,0/. A/6,=.=
4B=B =.= /,/B,./= ?6B,=AA 4,0A0 A..,/B4
4BB5 =.= /,?5,?0? ?==,4=4 4,0=A A.4,004
4BB4 =.= /,??,/=. ?B0,05A 4,655 AA.,A?0

As can be seen from the above table,the number of tea gardens,total production and area in hectares have
shown an upward trend since 4B04. In fact,the tea industry of Assam has contributed greatly to the foreign
exchange earnings of India,apart from being the ma<or supplier of tea in the domestic market of the country.
I7%8"T-I&" .64
Tea being a commodity which is sub<ect to direct taxation by way of excise duty,export duty and cess under Tea
Act,the industry makes substantial direct contribution to 3entral Income Tax,"uper Tax *3orporation Tax+and
Agricultural Income Tax. The Agricultural Income Tax along with "ales Tax levied upon the tea industry inflates
the income of the "tate 'overnment to a very great extent.
Tea is the mainstay of the plywood industry and a big buyer of fertiliFers. It is also a very important rate
payer which pays heavy freight charges of the transport organisations. Te industry has also played a very
valuable part in opening up and developing areas which were previously inaccessible <ungles and forests. The
areas retrieved and developed into flourishing tea gardens were not areas where food gains could ordinarily be
grown and as such there is no problem of competition between this crop and any other food crop. The
importance of the industry in the social structure is also noteworthy due to its both direct and indirect
employment giving labour intensive aspects. Agricultural in nature,the tea industry needs the application of
modern scientific way of cultivation. A single unit of the tea estate has to accomplish all the process right from
seedling ti final packing of the manufactured tea.
The 'uwahati Tea Auction 3entre has successfully completed /A years of its existence. It is remarkable
that in respect of 3T3 *3rush Tear and 3url+tea,the 'TA3 has earned the distinction of being the world#s largest
tea auction centre. 1hen all types of tea are considered,the 'TA3 is the world#s second largest tea auction
centre,the first being 3olombo. $owever,only ?= per cent of total tea produced in Assam is routed through the
'TA3.
Assam has =.= tea estates both high and small,and most of them are in "ibsagar district. Tea cultivation
covers an area of /.?. lakh hectares in Assam. 1ith an annual production of about ?B0 million kilogram of
tea,the tea industry employ 44 lakh workers. The 'overnment of Assam collects the highest amount of
Agricultural income tax from the tea industry. The 'overnment collects -s.4/ crores as sales tax the 'TA3
annually.
Pa!er Industr+ : Assam having the richest bamboo resources of the country offered good scope for
development of paper industry in the "tate. "o at first,the "tate 'overnment issued licences to private companies
to set up paper mills in Assam. !ut due to various reasons,they did not come forward and the licences remained
unutilised. The "tate 'overnment had,therefore,to review the position and decided to associate with the !ihar
'overnment in revitalising the almost liquidated Ashok )aper (ills ;td.owned by (ahara<a of %arbhanga and
set up the same at 9ogighopa in Assam.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .6/
The foundation stone of the 9igighpopa unit was laid by the )rime (inister of India in Dctober,4B65 with loans
received from I:3I,I3I3I and ;I3. 1ith some of the machinery brought from the %arbhanga unit of the
company together with some new machinery,the 9ogighopa unit was set up and production was started. The total
cost of this paper mill was -s.?4 crores. It has a capacity of producing 455 tonnes of pulp and B5 tonnes of paper
per day. At present,the production of this mill has been stopped as it becomes sick.
In order to ensure steady supply of bamboo the company has taken up a programme of manmade
bamboo forests in the hilly areas of the "tate particularly around 9ogighopa.
In addition to this mill,the $industan )aper 3orporation of India *'overnment of India undertaking+set
up two paper mills in Assam each with a capacity of 4,55,555 tonnes of writing and printing paper per annum
one at 9agiroad in (arigaon district and the other in 3achar district.
A new pro<ect,Industrial )apers *Assam+;td.is being completed at %ihing. The number of new units
under forestbased industries has increased from ??/,to ?A?. $owever,the midterm appraisal of the &ight :ive
Eear *4BB/B6+plan of Assam shows that there has been a decline in production of paper by A per cent in 4BB? as
compared to the 4BB/ figure. &fforts are underway to revive the sick and closed Ashok )aper (ill.
Causti$ Soda and Clorine Plant : Important processing chemicals required for paper making are
caustic and chloride. These chemicals are also required by other industries of the "tate. !ut with the coming of
the Ashok )aper (ills ;td.,the question of these chemicals assumed greater importance. As such,essentially to
meet the requirement of these chemicals for Ashok )aper (ills a captive unit was set up ad<acent to the paper
mill site. This unit had a capacity of producing /A tonnes of caustic soda and little over // tonnes of chlorine per
day.
The $industan )aper 3orporation which has set up two paper mills in Assam also set up caustic soda
and chlorine plant for each of these two paper mills. &ach of these units has capacity for producing 40,A55
tonnes of caustic soda,4A,555 tonnes of chlorine and ??5 tonnes of $ydrochloric Acid *455J+ per annum.
India Car'on 3td : India 3arbon ;td.#s )etroleum 3oke 3alcination plant
I7%8"T-I&" .6?
was set up in collaboration with (M" 'reat ;akes 3arbon 3orporation of 8.".A.
:oundation stone of the plant was laid on .
th
%ecember,4B04. The creation work was completed in a
record time of 44 months and the plant went into production by 7ovember,4B0/. 1ith the establishment of this
3alcination plant at 'uwahati,India 3arbon became the pioneer in manufacturing carbon in India by producing
petroleum coke,the purest electrocarbon.
)etroleum coke,a byproduct of oil refining is the primary material used by the light metal producers. It
is the primary ingredient in the manufacture of anodes,cathodes and thermic eloctrodes as well as other carbon
and graphite products.
3alcined petroleum coke is used mainly by manufacturers of aluminium,titanium, magnesium, steel and
ferro alloys,producers of calcium carbide and silicon carbide and other manufacturers of carbon and graphite
products.
There are only three refineries in India )roducing raw petroleum coke,which is the vital raw material for
calcined petroleum coke. They are *a+Indian Dil 3orporation ;td.,'uwahati, *b+Indian Dil 3orporation
;td.,!arauni and *c+Assam Dil 3o.;td.,%igboi.
!efore setting up of this plant,this material was being imported from abroad mainly 8.".A.,and by
producing this material at 'uwahati,the foreign exchange that was being spent on import of calcined petroleum
coke is now saved.
Assam Car'on 3imited :In 4B0/,three entrepreneurs got together to set up the second carbon factory at
'uwahati to produce metallic and hard carbon grades of carbon blocks and electrical carbon brushes mainly for
automobiles,%.3.motors and sliprings. The company after collecting complicated details about the
industry,finalised the pro<ect and the unit came into being in the year 4B0?. The unit had,however,to pass through
several initial difficulties. !ut in the year 4B00,the unit could produce some grades of (.'. 3arbon !locks
which could well be compared with those produced in an industrially advanced country. !y 4B06,the company
was producing almost the full range of metallic carbon blocks,some grades of silver graphite carbon blocks and
almost all varieties,types and qualities of carbon brushes. The company was converted into a )ublic ;imited
3ompany in 4B0?. The second unit to manufacture electrographiatised and resin bonded carbon blocks,was set
up in collaboration with (organite 3arbon limited of 8.K. In 4B6.. The company has covered the entire range
of carbon blocks and carbon brushes for all applications.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .6.
Assam Petro-Cemi$als 3td :In order to utilise natural gas of Assam#s oil fields in manufacture of
methanol,formalin,8.:.adhesive and 8.:.moulding powder,etc., the Assam Industrial %evelopment 3orporation
drew up a scheme for petrochemical industry in Assam and obtained an industrial licence from the 'overnment
of India in :ebruary,4B64. The foundation stone of this concern was laid at 7amrup on the 4A
th
9une,4B64. The
pro<ect was sanctioned for an installed capacity of 6,555 metric tonnes of methanol,4/,555 metric tonnes of
formalin,4?,A55 metric tonnes of 8.:.adhesive and 4,555 metric tonnes of 8.:.moulding powder per annum. The
total investment estimated for the pro<ect was -s.4/55 lakhs. The pro<ect has already started production and
provided employment to nearly ?A5 persons with a potential for further employment of 655 persons.
The pro<ect was implemented in collaboration with a 9apanese consortium. (Ms 9apan 'as3hemical
3ompany Inc.,Tokyo,9apan,provided technical assistance and supervision during erection and commissioning
and pro<ect engineering. The detailed engineering of imported machinery,inspection,procurement of machinery
and materials from 9apan was accomplished through two other 9apanese firms. The plants were designed on the
basis of the processes of (Ms 9apan 'as3hemical 3ompany,Inc.,Tokyo,(Ms Industrial 3onsulting !ureau
)t.;td.,!ombay,was entrusted with the task of working out detailed design and engineering of the indigenous
equipments including supervision during erection and commissioning of the plants.
As indicate above ,the unit produces important raw materials like 8.:.adhesive for the plywood industry
in the "tate and with the 8.:.moulding powder,a number of subsidiary industries will come up in the "tate.
2erti$em 3td : In order to meet the requirement of mixed fertiliFer in the "tate,the Assam Industrial
%evelopment 3orporation set up a unit for production of 7)K mixed granulated fertiliFer at 7arangi with
production capacity of /55 metric tonnes per day. The unit was commissioned in "eptember,4B6. and had been
set up with an investment of -s.6/.55 lakhs. It provides employment to about 455 people.
Sa.et+ 0at$es and S!lints : The first attempt at manufacture of safety matches in the small scale
industry in the "tate was made in 4B4/ at "ibsagar in the name and style of -ampur (atch :actory. !ut the unit
was closed down soon after its birth. The second and biggest attempt was the !rahmaputra (atch :actory at
9orhat,which was also closed down almost at its very start. The reason for the failure was perhaps the high cost
of production and nonavailability of abundant suitable timber near about.
!ut in 4B/.,abundance of simul timber in 'oalpara,Kamrup and 7agaon and imposition of import duty
on safety matches by the 'overnment of India,prompted a "wedish 3ompany to form the Assam (atch
company and set up a match factory at %hubri. !y the end of the second phase this factory was
I7%8"T-I&" .6A
able to produce about ./,555 cases of matches. As a result of expansion carried out by this factory during the
late sixties it is now able to produce more than BA,555 cases a year. It provides employment to nearly 4A5
persons. The Assam (atch 3ompany has since been taken over by the 1estern India (atch 3ompany ;td.
There is also a small match factory at Karimgan< with a capacity of =5,555 gross match boxes per
annum. It provides employment to about A5 persons.
In addition to this,a small match splint factory was set up by the Industries %epartment at !i<ni in the
year 4B0?. The unit had to face several difficulties during the initial years. It was later taken over by the A.I.%.3.
To run the same in a commercial manner. This unit has been able to overcome the initial difficulties and is now
running smoothly. The capacity of the unit is =5 million splints per day. The product of this unit is now being
taken by the 1estern India (atch 3ompany of %hubri and is also being sent to Tamilnadu,Drissa and Tripura.
The unit provides employment to about .5 persons.
Asso$iated Industries "Assam#3td.:
"Cemi$al Unit and te S!inning Units#:
This company in the private sector was setup at 3handrapur near 'uwahati for manufacture of ?55
tonnes of super phosphate and 4A55 tonnes of sulphuric acid per month in its chemical unit and for spinning of
cotton yarn with 4/,A55 spindles in its spinning units. !ut due to various short comings of the management both
the units were closed down in the year 4B6/6? and a large number of employees faced retrenchment. The "tate
'overnment in a bid to revive the unit negotiatede with the 'overnment of India and as a result the 7ational
Textile 3orporation of India *a 'overnment of India undertaking+took over the management of this spinning unit
and called back the employees and started production. The 7ational Textile 3orporation has now taken up
programme for expansion of the spindle capacity to /A,555 spindles and accordingly a licence had been obtained
in 9anuary,4B6.. The chemical unit was,however,taken over by the Assam Industrial %evelopment 3orporation
in the middle of 4B6.. The A.I.%.3.thereafter carried out extensive renovation and overhauling of the plant and
recommissioned the unit in the year 4B6A.
S!inning Unit : !esides the spinning unit of the Associated Industries *Assam+;td.,there is a spinning
mill at 3hariduar in the %arrang district. This spinning mill came up in the early sixties with a capacity of
4/,A555 spindles. This mill has also carried an expansion programme with addition of 4/,A55 spindles. This mill
now provides employment to more than 4555 people.
Sugar Industr+ : To utilise the sugarcane grown in the "tate,the first sugar mill of the "tate in the co
operative sector was set up during the "econd )lan period. The Assam 3ooperative "ugar (ill "ociety was
registered on /0
th
(arch,4BAA and the Assam 3ooperative mill was established at %ergaon,
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .60
40 miles */A.0 kms.+east of 9orhat near the Assam Trunk -oad. The manufacturing license to start the sugar mill
under the Industrial %evelopment and -egulation Act was obtained on 4.=.A0. The machinery of the mill were
produced from 3Fechoslovakia through (essrs "koda *India+)rivate ;td.,3alcutta.
The foundation stone was laid by the 3hief (inister of Assam on /.AA6 and the erection started on
45.B.A6,under the supervision of 3Fech technician and it was completed in (arch,4BA=. The factory went into
full production in 4B0504.
The mill provides direct employment to large number of technicians,educated youngmen and unskilled
labour and a vast population is connected with supply of raw materials and other ancillary activities resulting in
the improvement of their economic condition. The total strength of employees is 0A5 which is much less than
what is being employed by older mills of similar capacity owing to the most modern machineries installed. The
crushing capacity of the mill is =55 to 4,555 tons per day.
The second sugar mill in the "tate was set up in 3achar district,with a crushing capacity of 4/A5 metric
tonnes per day. The 3apital investment for the pro<ect was estimated at -".A.5.55 lakhs and the pro<ect had an
employment opportunity for about 055 persons. :or this pro<ect 4A,555 acres mostly of tea garden surplus land
are being utilised for cultivation of sugarcane.
Assam S!un Sil) 0ills 3td. :- This is the largest public sector undertaking in (arigaon district and was
started with a capital outlay of -s.=A lakhs,the subscribed and paidup capital being -s.=5,?6,655. The
construction works started on ?4
st
(arch,4B05 with a loan of -s. 45 lakhs as its working capital which has been
subsequently converted to 'overnment#s share contribution during 4B0=0B. Te construction was completed in
7ovember,4B04,and the mill went into production of 4= %ecember,4B04 with the installed capacity of ?,555
spindles for spun silk yarn and ./5 spindles for 7oli yarn. The mill was expected,while working in two shifts,to
produce ?.,5/5 kgs.of "pun silk yarn and //,0=5 kgs.of 7oil yarn annually. The spun mill pro<ect was set up to
find out new markets for eri and muga fabrics by producing standardised yarn and to ensure reasonable price to
the cocoon reares in the "tate. The (ill was an essential aspect of welfare ancillary to eri culture,which is the
main cottage industry of Assam.
8ute 0ill : Assam produces about 45 lakh bales of <ute per year which <ustify setting up as many as 0 to
= mills in the "tate. $owever,only a modest beginning could be made during the earlier )lans for setting up of a
small <ute mill in the cooperative sector at "ilghat in 7agaon district with 4A5 looms and with a provision for
expansion up to ?55 looms. The "ilghat 9ute (ill happens to be the first coopeartive <ute mill in the country.
9ute being a foreign exchange earner and the most important commercial agricultural produce in the "tate,the
setting up of a number of <ute mills in the "tate could have made substantial contribution towards the
development of the "tate,but due to various difficulties nothing tangible could be done even up to the end of the
Third )lan to set up any more <ute mill
I7%8"T-I&" .66
in the "tate. The "tate 'overnment from the beginning of this decade took up the matter very seriously and in
4B6. obtained two more licences for setting up of <ute mills in the "tate,one with a capacity of 4/,A55 tonnes and
the other with a capacity of 4/,005 tonnes of sacks and hessians per annum. "uitable site have been selected for
these <ute mills one at %algaon near (angaldoi in %arrang district and the other at 'uagacha near !arpeta. The
'uagacha units is being organised under the cooperative sector and the %algaon unit in the "tate sector through
Assam Industrial %evelopment 3orporation. !esides these <ute mills,a <ute twine factory has been recently
established at 7agaon in addition to the one already existing at 'uwahati,viF.,!rahmaputra 9ute (anufacturing
3ompany.
)rofiles of Assam "pun "ilk (ills ;td.And Assam 3ooperative 9ute (ills ;td.
Ad
minis
trative
%e
part
ment
"tate
level
)ublic
&nter
prise
Infor
mation
fur
nished
for the
year
)aid
up
3api
tal
'ov
ernment
Invest
ment
Total
3apital
Invest
ment
Turno
ver
)rofitM
;oss of
the year
Accu
mulated
;oss
7et
1orth
)osition
*7ega
tive+
&m
ploy
ment
*7os.+
4 / ? . A 0 6 = B 45 44
Indu
stries
%epa
rtment
;td.
Assam
"pun
"ilk
(ills
4BB/B? 465 ?/A ?/A /.5 =. .0B /B. .//
3oop
erative
%epartm
ent
Assam
3oop.
9ute
(ills
;td.
4BB/B? ?46 ?4= ?4= A?0 4.?0 4=4 4?= =A6
Sour$e :Statisti!al Hand Book,Assam,%irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics,'ovt.of
Assam,4BB.,p.4?=.5.
It appears that the Assam "pun "ilk (ills ;td.is a sick industry and needs urgent revamping of
management,marketing and personnel. 3omparatively,the 9ute (ills at least made a profit of -s. O.?0 lakhs for
the year 4BB/B?,although this industry too had an accumulated loss of -s.4=4 lakhs.
As'estos Cement :A company in the private sector has set up a factory near 'uwahati to manufacturers
cement sheets and cement pipes. This factory has a production capacity of ?.,555 asbestos cement sheets and
.,555 asbestos cement pipes per annum.
Industrial ,ases :To meet the requirement of the steel fabrication industry in the "tate (M" Industrial
'ases ;td. *annual production capacity 2 oxyFen
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .6=
/,.5,555 cubic metres and dissolved acetylene 4655 cubic metres+and (M" Indian DxyFen ;td. *annual
production capacity 2 DxyFen 4,B5,555 cubic metres and dissolved acetylene A5,555 cubic metres+set up their
respective units at 'uwahati for production and supply of industrial and supply of industrial gases. The third unit
for production and supply of industrial gases *annual capacity 2oxyFen C 5.?/. million cubic metres and dis
solved acetylene 5.4= million cubic metres+has been set up at !ongaigaon.
India ,as Com!an+ ::or proper and gainful utilisation of the waste refinery gas of the 'uwahati
-efinery as cheap domestic fuel gas,a scheme was sponsored as early as in 4B04 by some local entrepreneurs for
manufacture of ;.).'. After prolonged persuasion,the 'overnment of India agreed to set up a gas company in
public sector. "o,in 4B0?,the India 'as 3ompany was formed. It was duly approved and recommended by the
"tate 'overnment to the distributors of ;.).'.'as to be made available from the public sector 'uwahati
-efinery. The Indian Dil 3orporation ;td.in pursuance of the "tate 'overnment#s recommendation,has already
appointed the India 'as 3ompany as their distributors for ;.).'as in Assam. The 3ompany has also set up a
manufacturing unit of different siFes and types of gas cookers to serve the gas users in Assam at a low cost.
&is(anat &rass Rolling -or)s5,u(aati : This large scale industry is now running in the private
sector. It was started in 4BA.,with the cooperation and assistance of the 'overnment of Assam. It
manufacturers mainly sheets of brass,bell metal and copper. It is started that this industry was established at a
time when the supply of brass sheets of Assam from outside had declined and consequently the artisans
manufacturing utensils had to suffer a great deal. The installed capacity of this rolling mill is 4A55 tonnes per
year. This factory has been helping the brass and bell metal industries in Assam,and about 45,555 such artisans
all over the "tate have been depending upon the manufacturing products of this industry.
Siotia 0etal Industries5,u(aati :This private factory was established in 4B0/. The factory has got a
fixed capital of -s.4,A5,555M and a working capital of rs.A,55,555M. It manufacturers brass sheets,brass
circles,bell metal sheets blocks,gun metal items,alloys and castings,etc. The factory has engaged more than
/5,555 local artisans in the manufacture of brass and bell metal industries throughout the "tate.
Steel -ort Pri*ate 3imited 2 "teel 1orth )rivate ;imited is a ma<or industry in Assam. Its head office
is located at Tinsukia and brunch offices are there at 'uwahati and TeFpur. In respect of rawmaterials,it mainly
deals with mild steels,heavy and light structural sections,sheets and plates,doors,windows and standard sections.
Its main productions are <eep trailors,'.I.sheets,water tanks,hospital beds and bed side lockers,wheel
burrows,(.'.and !.'.clamps,low desk steel frames,overhead tanks and storage tanks,river gates *sluice
gates+,control power for aviation,electric towers,all types of steel doors and windows,manufacture of agricultural
implements like (.!.plough,brackets,etc. This enterprise is also recognised and registered by %efence
%epartment,-ailways,"tate
I7%8"T-I&" .6B
'overnment, 7agaland ,3.).1.%., Indian oil 3orporation , ).$.&., ).1.%. and other parties.
Te Assam Tanneries 3imited5 ,u(aati 2 The Assam Tanneries ;td. 1as established in 4B.5 by a
handful of local industrial people for manufacture of leather and leather goods. In 4B04, the 'overnment of
Assam having recognised the importance of the only leather manufacturing industry of the "tate, came forward
to pull up the industry from its decaying condition by contributing A4J of its subscribed share capital. This
marked the beginning of a fresh chapter in the life of the company to revive its business with a nucleus working
capital of A4,?5,/=4M ,:urther, with the assistance of the %irectorate of Industries, Assam and the "mall
Industries "ervice Institute, 'uwahati, After the third year of its revival ,the 3ompany disclosed a net profit of
-s.?4B?.A5 as on ?4
st
%ecember,4B0?@ over a total business of -s.4,/A,A=?.6? during the year 4B0?.
"ubsequently, it had to close down due to want of a suitable site of working and nonsupply of chemicals.
Te Assam Rail(a+ and Trading Com!an+ at 0argerita 2 It is one of the pioneer institutions that
fostered the industrial development of Assam. The 3ompany has three ma<or establishments at (argherita,
namely coal fields, timber works and brick fields. The 3olliery department of the 3ompany is functioning since
4==. and its organisational monolith is headed by the 3hief mining manager with a 3olliery "uperintendent
below him. The Average annual output of coal form the 3ompanyPs collieries is of the order of ??5=== tonnes.
The Timber %epartment of the 3ompany is administered by the Timber "uperintendent with the help of a
(ill (anager. :or the development of plywood industry the 3ompany opened its own factory at (argherita in
4B/. . The ;edo !rick )lant which is one of the two machine operated brick fields of the undivided ;akhimpur
district is owned by this 3ompany .
After the formation of the 3ompany in 4==4, the work of construction of the %ibrugarh "teamerghat -ailway
was undertaken by them . The first railway line form %ibrugarh "teamerghat to 9aipur -oad , was opened in
4==/. The coal fields were connected by -ailway lines in 4==..
-ailway workshops2 The railway workshop at %ibrugarh was established in the year 4==4 with an approximate
investment of -upees fifty lakhs. This is considered to be one of the biggest workshops in 7orth &ast India.
Altogether 4=A6 persons were employed there in 4B0.. !eside overhauling works, repairing of locomotives and
coaches are undertaken in the workshop and various components required for the above are manufactured. It
also undertakes casting of both ferrous and nonferrous metal and forging of steel items. The materials required
in the workshop are provided by the 3ontroller of "tores 7.:.-ailway, )andu.
Rail(a+ (or)so!s: The railway workshop at %ibrugarh being overburdened with the works of carrying
out repair of locomotives, carriages, and wagons, a second -ailway workshop was established at 7ew
!ongaigaon on !ongaigaon district in 4B0A covering an area of about =5 hectares. The pro<ect at 7ew
!ongaigaon consists of ? amalga
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .=5
mated factories and was completed at a cost of about -s.45A/ crores. It has a periodical overhauling capacity of
4,A55 units of passenger coaches and ?,555 units of goods wagons per annum . It also undertakes manufacturing
work for various %ivisions of 7orth&ast :rontier -ailway. The total number of employees in the workshop is
/,4/A including 4,.6B 3lass III and 0AA 3lass I> staff . Dver 0.J of the staff have been provide with
accommodation by the -ailway in the colony spread over an area of about ..5 hectares and lying about a
kilometer from the workshop.
"ii# Small S$ale Industries:
Ri$e 0ills2 In the urban areas of every district of the state, there are rice mills, some of which are
combined rice and oil mills. The 'overnment is encouraging handpounding of rice through the Khadi and
>illage Industries !oard. A number of licenses to install ricehullers have been issued in recent years.
The capital investment in the rice mills ranges from -s. A5,555 to -s. /,A5,555. Average number of
labour per day employed in each mill varies from ?5 to A5 through a lesser number is also found in very small
establishments. The raw materials required for the industry is paddy which is locally procured and its main
product is rice which finds its way into the local markets. )addy procurement is the monopoly of the "tate
'overnment and the millers are allotted paddy from time to time for milling on commission basis.
2lour 0ills2 There are small units of flour mills in the "tate with an annual capacity ranging from ?A
metric tones to .A metric tones and in average employing ? to A persons. 1heat is allotted by the "tate
'overnment and the product which mainly comprises flour is sold locally.
%uring the last part of the "econd :ive Eear )lan, a roller flour mill involving a capital investment of
-upees nine lakhs was established at TeFpur. It provides employment to A5 persons both as full time and part
time workers. The Assam >alley :lour (ill which is also a -oller :lour (ill was opened on 6.=.AB <ust near the
-angghar 3harali, about a mile *4.0 km+ from "ibsagar town with a total capital of -s. 6,=/,4A0.4? %etailed
account of this flour mill is given in the "ibsagar %istrict 'aFetteer.
Sa( 0ills2 The saw mills are playing an important role in exploitation of the forest wealth of the state.
The timber requirement of the %efence %epartment during the "econd 1orld provided great impetus to the
industry. The progress of the industry was accelerated by many other factors during the postwar period and now
it occupies the place of an important industry. There are more than A55 saw mills Assam at present. The capital
investment of these
I7%8"T-I&" .=4
saw mills varies form rupees ten thousand to rupees two lakhs. %iesel, steam sets are used for running these saw
mills. "aw timbers are mostly sent outside the "tate particularly to places like 3alcutta, -ourkela, %elhi,
-a<asthan, etc.A larger number of sleepers are also supplied to the -ailway
,inning 0ills 2 3otton is widely cultivated in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam and almost whole of
it is exported outside the "ate in unginned form. It has also a good international market if it can be blended with
wool very suitably . The %iphu 3otton 'inning 3o Dperative (ill was establishment it is not working
satisfactorily. !esides the %iphu 3otton 'inning 3o operative (ill, there are seven cotton ginning mills in
Assam.
Pl+(ood Industries 2 The development of tea industry had a catalytic effect on the development of
ancillary industries in the "tate. Tea even form the beginning of its planned cultivation and processing found
both internal and foreign markets. (arketing of tea, more so when it is to be exported, and for packing of tea,
plywood was found to be the most suitable material.
;ike tea , coal, and petroleum, plywood industry was also started originally by the !ritishers after the
:irst 1orld 1ar and primarily to meet the requirement of tea industry. The plywood industries originally set up
started manufacturing plywood in the form of tea sacks only, and gradually developed teachest plywood of ?
plies. 1ith the discovery of various species up tea chest plywood factories in Assam and these units gradually
were able to meet the bulk of the requirement of teachest plywood for the tea industry of the "tate.
All plywood factories in Assam , however, continued to manufacture only tea chest plywood almost upto
the middle sixties.
3ommercial and decorative plywood *including flush doors, block boards, etc.+ produced in Assam is now
being exported and thus it is earning valuable foreign exchange. Assam is now being exported and thus it is
earning valuable foreign exchange. Assam started this industry with two miniature units in the twenties , but
there are now as many as ?4, many of which are equipped with the most uptodate plant and machinery and
provide direct employment to about 45,555 persons. !esides this industry is also making substantial contribution
to the state exchequer by way of various taxes, royalties, etc.
Soa! 2a$tories 2 About 4/. units are engaged in manufacturing washing soap in Assam and almost all
of them are concentrated in the urban or semi urban areas of the "tate . The average annual production of these
units varies form .5 metric tonnes to 4=5 metric tonnes.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .=/
Oil 0ills2 There are more than /55 oil mills in Assam . The ma<ority of them are located in the urban
areas of the "tate , A number of rice mills have oil crushing plants attached to them. The oil mills employ 45 to
.5 persons and produce mustard oil, oil cakes, wood oil, etc. There are also more than doFen citronella oil mills
in Assam .
Candle (or)s: There are a number of candle works in the "tate. They obtain materials form the
'overnment and make candle of various siFes.
Automo'ile -or)so!s 2 1ith the increasing use of motor cars, trucks stage carriages, etc. a large
number of automobile repairing workshop have come up in the urban areas of the "tate . These are mainly
repairing and servicing centers. "ome of them also undertake the spray painting of automobiles. "ome firms of
main towns of the "tate undertake body making of trucks ans buses.
Vul$anising and T+re retreading 2 'rowing use of automobiles have also led to the development of
another category of rapairing workshop known as tyre retreading and vulcanising shops. These are mainly
located in the urban areas of the "tate .
Steel 2urniture 2 The new and multifarious uses of steel largely contributed to the growth and
development of steel furniture industry. The demand for steel furniture for offices, hospitals , shops, factories,
and homes is increasing rapidly due to its overall advantage in respect of economy , durability, risk of fire and
scarcity of good seasoned timber . As a result , a large number of steel furniture factories are coming up.
&ri$) 0a)ing 2 1ith the increase in the tempo of constructional activities and urge for higher standard
of living , the brick making industry has come to occupy an important place in the economy of the "tate .The
brick fields, scattered mostly in the outskirts of towns are a common sight, thought a few can be noticed even in
the interior villages. The normal practice in the brick kilns is to make the bricks by manual process with help of
the moulds called forma and then burn them in the oval pattern multichambered kilns.
Trun) and Suit$ase 2a$tories2 A large number of trunk and suitcase factories manufacture and repair
trunks, suitcases, brief cases, kit boxes, water tanks, ridgings, etc.
"hoe making 2 In addition to several individual shoe makers *3obblers+ in the urban areas of the "tate, few are
engaged in making shoes and rubber chapals.
2i'er &oard Industries: To utilise the waste form the local saw mills and plywood factories one
licence for establishing a factory at (akum for the manufacture of chip board been issued .The volume of
wastage in the saw mills and plywood factories is considerable. IT varies from .5J to A5J . This waste is not
put to any use other than as fuel. There are many nondurable species of timbers not
I7%8"T-I&" .=?
suitable for any of the industries but which can be processed for production of hard board and chipboard. The
chipboard industry will depend mainly upon the local mill wastes . !esides this chipboard industry at (akum,
one hard board factory has been installed near 'uwahati by (M" $ard !oard ;td. The capacity of this plant is A5
tonnes per day. This plant has utilised the tops and branches of felled tress left in the forests and poles of
firewood species, The estimated requirement of these raw materials is ?5,555 tons annualy. The 'overnment of
Assam is a participant in the share capital in this forest based industry. The licence of ?,6A5 tonnes per annum at
'uwahati was granted in 4B04 under the name and style of Assam $ard !oard limited with an authorised capital
of -s.4 crore. The "tate 'overnmentPs share participation was an amount of A lakhs till 9anuary, 4B0A.
Tim'er Seasoning Plant 2 To meet the ever increasing demand for seasoned timber, a timber treatment
and seasoning plant has been established in the )ublic "ector by the :orest %epartment at (akum, at a cost of
more than four laks of rupees, !esides this, there are several small scale timber seasoning plants in Assam .
Engineering industries: There are a large number of engineering works concentrated mostly in the
urban and semi Curban areas of Assam .These engineering works have sprung up in recent years .They
manufacture parts of water pumps ,sugercane crushers ,cast wheels,axels,cast wheel rims,wire nails,barbed
wire,tea chest fittings,nuts and bolts ,building materials,simple agricultural implements,hume pipes,steel
trunks,buckets,drums,cans,<eep trailers,etc. They generally employ three to ten persons. There are also a few
aluminium industries in the "tate which make utensils . :acility of casting of ferrous and nonferrous metals is
also provided by several establishments.
0anu.a$ture o. tools and im!lements .or tea industr+:- Tea is the main industry of Assam and one
of the countryPs leading foreign exchange earners. Its demand for various types of implements, machineries and
spare parts is so great that this alone can support a number of ancillary industries. "everal firms have already
been established to cater to the needs of tea garden factory equipments,storage tanks , trailer, seel containers,
drums , trolleys, garden leaf shifters, pulleys, 3.T.3.machines and their components ,rice and oil machines, etc.
It may be noted that each tea garden has a factory of its own to process tea leaves.
-eigts and 0easures2 1ith the introduction of the (etric system of weights and measures, the
demand for these also increased manifold. "ome of the firms are manufacturing weights and measures as
subsidiary products.
Steel stru$ture 2 Tabular structures are mainly required for construction of structural houses like
factory godowns, factory sheds, etc. 1ith the growth of industries the demand for these items has increased
rapidly. "everal
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .=.
firms are also manufacturing steel structures in Assam.
-ire .en$ing: A number of industrial units are engaged in making wire fencing of all types including
barbed wire as a part of their other manufacturing activities and a few are exclusively engaged in making barbed
wire. The main items of production include oven fencing ,fencing corner and posts, 8. bolts, angle cross arms
and other wire products. The tea gardens of the "tate are the leading consumers of wire fencing products.
0etal Industries 2 There are several expanded metal industrial units in the "tate manufacturing
reinforcing concreate materials for roads, foundation, dams, reservoirs, etc. &xpanded metals are generally used
in manufacturing and for making partitions and enclosures. Its popularity can be imagined from its tremendously
increasing use in -ailway passenger coaches,windows, factory machines and protective coverings, etc. The
labour cost is very small in comparison to the value of the products. !esides these expanded metal units,
!agrodia (etal Industries at 'uwahati is manufacturing brass wires, silicon gas, welding rods, manganese,
bronFe, copper coated , aluminium, etc. The normal capacity of production is 4555 kg. per day.
Printing !resses :- There are a large number of printing presses and these are mostly in the urban and
semi C urban areas of the "tate. "ome of the establishments are run with treadle type of printing machines. There
is also arrangement for color and block making in a few of the printing process. &lectricity is being used to run
the printing machines. "ome of the printing presses have offset printing as well as computer facilities. "ome of
the printing presses have a binding as well as computer facilities . "ome of the printing presses have a binding
unit attached to them .
Um'rella 0a)ing :- The number of umbrella making units in Assam is very small and all are in the
urban areas. The umbrellas are, in fact, assembled from different parts obtained form outside the "tate. 7o
umbrella parts are manufactured in the "tate and a very few indigenous people are found engaged in this in
industry or in repairing umbrellas. The repairing <ob is done by the people, mostly (uslims from outside Assam
moving from house to house and place to place also in town markets and weekly village markets.
Tailoring :- 1ith the improvement in the standard in the standard of living and with the increased use
of tailored garments both in urban and rural areas, the tailoring industry in growing extensively and can be seen
almost everywhere throughout the "tate. The ma<ority of workers in this industry are males.
I7%8"T-I&" .=A
Df late, however, women in good number have also started tailoring , working mostly within their own houses.
The ,ahila Samitis 3ommunity %evelopment !locked and other nonofficial Drganisations in the "tate have
arrangements for imparting training in tailoring to women and in some cases to men too. The Industries
%epartment of the "tate runs a few tailoring institutes in Assam . (ost of the tailoring shops are engaged in
tailoring of shirts, trousers, py<amas , blouses and frocks with cloth supplied by customers, while some are
engaged in making readymade garments with cloth supplied by dealers.
0anu.a$ture o. &edding re=uisites :- As in various other places, manufacture of bedding requisites in
the "tate is a monopoly of a section of &ast !engal (uslim settlers and of (uslims from !ihar. 1hile some of
the units have number of workers of this trade move from house in search of work. The fixed shops keep a stock
of ready C made articles and also make mattresses, quilts, pillows, cushions etc., out of materials supplied by the
customers themselves.
0anu.a$ture o. Cement Con$rete Ring and Urinal and 3atrine Sla's :- This industry is of recent origin and
can be seen in a few places of the "tate ."ome units manufacture the items mostly on contract either from the
)ublic 1orks %epartment or 3ommunity %evelopment !locks or public $ealth &ngineering %epartment, or
against order from large establishments like tea estates, etc.1ith the growing hygienic sense in the rural areas,
squatting type water sealed latrine slab placed over a deep narrow pit is now in extensive use and the slabs are
supplied by these units. "ome units also manufacture -.3.3. fencing posts against other . &very unit , $owever,
maintains a ready stock for sale.
Re > roling 0ills :- The tea industry , crude oil exploration , oil refinery , etc. have together helped
growth of engineering industries all over the "tate . To meet the iron and steel requirement of these engineering
industries all over the "tate . To meet the iron and steel requirement of these engineering industries and
extensive building programmes , during the sixties, two billet rerolling mills came up in this "tate which could
not meet even a fringe of the "tatePs demand . As such , the "tate 'overnment had to encourage scrap rerolling
mills in the small scale sector in the "tate . In the second plan period , two such scrap rerolling mills in came up
but during the decade as many as 4. more scrap rerolling mills in the small scale sector came up in the "tate .
The capacity of these re rolling mills varies from .,555 to 4A,555 metric tonnes per annum . &ach of these units
provides employment to about 4A to A5 persons. These rerolling mills together are now in a position to meet a
partial requirement of the "tate for iron and steel of different sections. The Assam 8dyog 3ompany , the re
rolling mill located at %ibrugarh , is engaged in the production of rolled products like rods, bars etc. The mill is
not working at its full capacity due to the shortage of raw materials.
!esides these industries in small scale sector, several small units
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .=0
manufacturing different items are scattered in Assam . %ue to the paucity of information , these industries are not
detailed .
"iii# Cottage Industries : Dld time important cottage industries like weaving, sericulture, pottery,
bamboo and caneworks, brass and bell metal, gold or silversmithy, blacksmithy, etc. which are still in existence
have already been described above. A reference may, however , be made to the handpounding of rice. It is
commonly practised in almost every household in the rural areas of the "tate . &very rural family has get a
wooden instrument called Dheki to husk paddy by pounding it with the foot. The rural population regards it as
an essential part of their family requirement and about treefourth of entire husked rice of the rural areas are
processed in the Dheki)
3arpentry in the rural areas, is more or less a subsidiary occupation . >illage carpenters do not specialise
in any branch and generally do all types of works like furniture making , house building ,etc. 1ooden
agricultural implement like plough, harrow yoke etc. are main items manufactured by the village carpenters.
3art wheel and boats are also made.
Among other industries of the "tate , mention may be made of rope making netmaking , bee keeping ,
leather tanning , oil crushing etc. practised by the individuals here and there in the "tate . In the sugarcane
producing areas, gur making is also very common . In recent years, tailoring also appears to have made large
inroads into interior areas of the "tate. %ue to increasing use of bicycles, the cheapest means of conveyance, a
number of cycle repairing shops are coming up both in the urban and rural areas of the "tate. They are mostly
concentrated in urban and semiurban areas.
C. Industrial Potential :- Assam with her vast natural wealth has still remained untapped except for a
small modest beginning . %ependence of its people mainly on agriculture, preponderance of tea manufacturing
and a modest beginning in oil mining are some of the important features of economy of the "tate.
As per the 3ensus of 4BB4, about 65J of the statePs population depends on agriculture . Agricultural
census 4B6066 reveals that average siFe of the operational holding in the state declined to 4.?6 hectare in 4B60
66 from 4..6 hectares in 4B6564. $owever in 4B=A=0, the average siFe of the operational holding slightly
increased to 4..4 hectare. This indicates high and uneconomic pressure on land which requires diversion and
industrial outlets. About 0?J of the total working population of the "tate depend on agriculture. As per 4BB4
3ensus, 4?J of the total working population of the "tate was found to be agricultural labourers. This sad picture
is still persisting in spite of immense natural resources and industrial potentiality of the "tate . 8pto 4B=5, there
were only 4=B? registered factories including only . ma<or factories with employment
I7%8"T-I&" .=6
facilities of =A.A thousand labourers found to be functioning in the "tate. The significant , /.J saw mill and
plywood factory and //J are rice ,atta and oil mills . At present agriculture contributes more than .5 per cent to
the "tate %omestic product and 0A per cent of the economically active population in Assam is directly engaged
in agriculture.
The following "tatement will show the forest vegetation based natural resources of Assam , 1hich can be
explored and expanded through planned plantation in the "tate for better utilisation of the labour force and raw
materials found locally . "ome of them can be used as foreign exchange earners.
;ist of locally found raw materials, their area and producible goods in Assam.
;ocally found raw material
4
1herefound
/
)roducible goods
?
4.Timber *Sal, Bansum,&amari, &ntire "tate. *a+ -ailway "leeper.
Sishu, Sonaru, (itaso$a, )articulary Kamrup, *b+ )lywood , )article Khokan, Simalu,
et! ' 7agaon,'oalpara, boards, hard board,etc
%arrang *c+!uilding materials.
*d+ :urniture.
*e+Dther timbers frames,
icons,figures of use
like cotton.
*f+)aper pulp and fuel.
/.(edical plants *Ar9un, *a+(edicinal oil and scent
Aswagandha,Ashok,,olar, &ntire "tate.
silika, Amlakhi,Bel,Sewali, *b+(edicine)
.aa,Sar$agardhe, (eteli,
Bhoira,(hekera, Salmugra, *c+:uel.
<latkamal, <u,Boku,.amu,
Amara,(ulasi,et!) And Hun-
dreds of herds and !ree$ers)'
?.3ane *Raidang, Patidoiet, &ntire "tate *a+:urniture baskets,chairs
etc.+ particularly etc.
8pper Assam and *b+8mbrella handle,stick,
3achar, rope,etc.
..!amboo *Bhaluka, .ati, &ntire "tate *a+!uilding materials.
Kotah, 7al,Kekoa,etc.+ *b+8tility *domestic and
cultivation+goods.
*c+)aper pulp,fodder etc.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .==
4 / ?
A.Dther utility plants *khoir ,
7ahar, Agor,,a9ankari, do *a+7onedible oil
Som, #ra, Sowalu, Barhamthuri *b+,uga and #ri cocoon
,a9athi, /ndigo, Bata, Khagari, rearing
Kher, (akeu, (ara, etc.+ *c+"cent and other utility
goods,Khoir,gum,dye,
.a9u,etc.
"tone,stone chips, &ntire "tate *4+!uilding materials.
&arth and sand. */+!rick,earthen wares,
tiles,etc.
*?+'lass,icon,figures,etc.


!esides there are A5 to 05 less durable or Akathi timber species in the "tate and these timbers can be
made fit for use in manufacturing frames, boxes,plants, building , etc., with due treatment . "o, there is also
scope for timber treatment plants in the "tate . 1astes from plywood and saw mills can be utilised in making
particle and insulation boards.
3astor oil, 7ahar oil, 7eem seed oil, Agor oil, (enthol and popperuiant oil, seed oil, etc.,can be
prepared extensively if seeds are properly collected in time . !esides citronella or lenon C grass oil, all the above
oils are good foreign exchange earners.
;ac, rubber , gum , Katha or Khoir can be extracted from forests and production can be continued and
expanded with proper plantation planning . !eside it seems there is no scheme to protect and increase these
plantations in the "tate.
!esides, there are A5 to 05 less durable timber species of low royalty class in the "tate. These species
have little or no market at present . These timbers can be treated and introduced in the market . There is a good
scope for increasing the number of timber seasoning plants in the "tate, It is stated that the "tate is moderately
rich in hides and skins . If chemicals are supplied at subsidised rate, a number of tanneries can be successfully
operated in Assam, provided bonemill organic pantry breed and fertiliser manufacturing units are also set up
within the same compact and extensively expanded campus. !esides glue, gelatine, and decalcium phosphate
which are also produced from bones can be set up along with the tannery . All the three types of gelatin C edible ,
7onedible and photographic can manufactured if bones are collected through an organised machinery. All these
goods are foreign exchange earners and savers. As Assam is a rice growing "tate, mills for manufacturing rice
borne oil can also be
I7%8"T-I&" .=B
established . The nonedible oils can be utilised in soap manufacturing and prevent the outflow of a huge
quantity of money from the "tate.
2ruit $ulti*ation5 or Preser*ation and Canning Industr+ :-
Assam with a wide range and pineapple are commercially most important for processing . )rocessing and
canning may be extended to other perishable fruits. )ineapples and oranges are cultivated on a commercial scale.
!ananas and papayas, and to a small extent pears, plums, peaches, etc.,are also grown.
"ince fruit is perishable in nature in nature it requires careful handing especially during transportation .
:or the fruit industry to progress on a commercial scale it is necessary to provide quick and easy transport and
refrigeration facilities. In Assam , at present , these, are fruit preservation centres one each at 'uwahati, "ilchar ,
Kuthari *7agaon+ , %ibrugarh , Tinsukia and 9orhat.
:ruit cells, peels, seeds and wastes also can be utilised profitably for processing to avoid wastes.
According to expertPs opinion , there is ample scope for development of set up a large fruit preservation unit at
"ilchar with a modern composite unit capable of processing pineapple slices and 9uice, orange segments , orange
concentrates , orange oil and vinegar from the waste products.
!esides the "tate 'overnment fruit preservation 3antres at 'uwahati an "ilchar, there are several unit in
Assam . (M" !irla !rothers are floating a company to set up a large fruit preservation unit at "ilchar with a
modern company to set up a large fruit preservation unit at "ilchar with a modern composite unit capable of
processing pineapple slices and <uice, orange segments, orange concentrates, orange oil and vinegar from the
waste products.
At present , nearly three fourth of the total fruits are exported outside the "tate. If this ratio is altered
and brought down to fifty per cent then nearly /A5 million lbs. *44?..5 million kgs + of fruits will be available in
Assam for caning purposes. Assam should aim at exporting canned fruits as it will increase the industrial income
for the "tate. $ence, there is good scope for development of small and big fruit canning industries.
At present , a total number of 6/ fruits and vegetable processing units are functioning in the 7orth &ast
of which // are in Assam . The centre has provided -s. .5..5 lakh to these units in 4BB? . The total installed
capacity of fruits and vegetable processing industry in India is currently estimated at B lakh (t of which the
7orth&ast contributes only about A5/ (T. The capacity utilisation in the units is low , ranging from A to ?5 per
cent . (arketing has been recognised as the single most important factor holding up the progress of fruits and
vegetable processing units in Assam and the rest of the 7orth&ast . The 7orth &astern -egional (arketing
3orporation *7&-A(A3+ was set up in 4B=/ to act as a regional apex body for organising
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .B5
processing , marketing and promotion of the sales of agrihorticultural produce of the region.
Paints manu.a$turing :- There is no paintsmaking unit in Assam at present . The demand for different
types of paint is high enough to feed some units. !asic raw materials such as linseed oil is available throughout
the "tate. )igments are imported products and in this respect all "tates all "tates are on equal footing. The
difficulty is only about the containers. This also can be partially met by the plastic industry.
Container ma)ing:- In view of the prospect of different industries in the "tate, manufacture of tin
containers has turned out to be a necessity. The prospective fruit preservation units and the paint industry and the
like, 1ould depend on the tin, plastic and glass containers for packing their final products.
The carrying of empty drums,cans and containers places a great strain on the transport system as they
occupy a large volume in the available capacity. It has not been possible to estimate the "tatePs demand for
drums and containers in precise terms as it would mean a proper assessment of the fruit canning , various
agricultural processing industries, etc. $owever, even <udging from the excellent prospects for the fruit canning
industry itself, it is felt that there can be a large unit in Assam to manufacture about 4,555 tonnes of drums and
containers.
Re$laimed ru''er : At present , old rubber tyres are thrown away in Assam. These tyres might be
collected and old rubber could be reclaimed from them . All rubber factories consume reclaimed rubber to mix
up with new rubber. The industry would be quite profitable. The <ob also does not require technical skill of high
degree.
Surgi$al instruments5 dressing and os!ital a!!lian$es :- There is a good scope for surgical dressing
manufacture in Assam . Dne or two units may take to manufacturing these in Assam . According to 73A&- at
present absorbent cotton , surgical instruments, etc., might not be economically produced buy bandages could be
manufactured and it would be pushed in the market.
Um'rella Ri's:- The umbrella ribs are not manufactured in Assam . A good demand exists for umbrella
because of heavy rainfall in Assam. A unit may be encouraged to take up manufacture of umbrella ribs.
Cerami$s :- The basic raw material is 3hina clay and this is available in the 'aro $ills . *now in
(eghalaya+. !ut considering other economic factors like relative position about availability of technical ,
financial , management, transport and marking facilities, it is suggested that the factory may be put up near
'uwahati. The 'overnment of Assam has already started imparting training in ceramics at 'uwahati in the
3ottage Industries Training Institute. ;ow tension and high tension insulators, and sanitary wares and pottery are
being taken up for manufacture.
I7%8"T-I&" .B4
Enamel (are 2 The demand for this type of product is increasing day by day in Assam . 9udging from
the number of hospitals in Assam it was "uggested in the Techno&conomic "urvey that there could be a unit in
Assam for manufacturing about A5,555 number of enamel ware per annum. There is a unit at 'uwahati which is
engaged in the production of this item but its capacity is not known. It is suggested that the existing unit in the
"tate doubles its production and also a large unit for manufacturing about 4.A million pieces per annum be
established.
Among other industries, which can be started in Assam are *i+ 3halk 3rayon , */+ (irrors, *?+ )lastic
Articles and Toys, *.+)lastic -ain 3oats, *A+ "ports goods, *0+ 3ontainers for ;iquified petroleum 'as, *6+
"toves and !urners for burning ;.).'., etc.
7.:. -ailway is also a big customer of a large number of items *"tores requirement + 1hich could be
manufactured on small scale basis. A list of items which the 7.:. -ailway occasionally bring and which can be
manufactured on small scale basis is furnished below 2
"A# Hard(are items:- !olts , nuts, rivets, washers *square and round +, wire, nails, screws, iron and
mild steel, split pins, tube, fire, and water buckets, pans, iron mortar, latrine pans, etc.
"&# Tin smit+ items : ;amps of all sorts and their spare parts viF.., hand signal lamps, hurricane
lamps, points of trap indicator lamps, signal lamps, etc., can and measures of all sorts, feeder oils, come under
this category of items and there is scope for entrepreneurs to manufacture this items in an individualistic small
scale industry.
"C# Aluminium and &rass (are : 8tensils, mugs, aluminium , deg!hi aluminium with lid lota brass,
dipper brass with handles.
"D# 0e$ani$al .ittings 2 $ose trips, clips ,door locking devices, reservation label holders, handle
carriage door, face plates for axle boxes,alarm signal, communication chain , etc.
"E# "i# Castings 2 !rake blocks, fire bars, piston rings, full stands, etc. and other cast iron signaling
items.
"ii# &ron7e :- !earing brushes, cans, liners, boiler countings.
"2# -ooden items :- $andles wooden all sorts, furniture of all description , wooden block , boards, etc.
",# Personnel re=uirements 2 $oldalls, tents, bags, tarpaulin, etc.
"H# 3eater goods: %ust shield, cash bags, shoes, chappals, etc.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .B/
0ineral 2 In the industrial programme for Assam , it stated that the whole petrochemical family of
industries is yet at a nascent stage. &ven the known items like causic soda and calcium carbide have not evoked
any interest among investors. An oxygen and acetylene unit went into production in 4B0/. It has already been
mentioned that the 7amrup unit, of the :ertiliser corporation of India ;td., went into production with effect from
440B. The unit was originally designed to produce 4 lakh tones of ammonium sulphate, 00,555 tonnes of urea
per annum . The 3orporation took up an expansion programme for this unit which was completed in the year
4B6A for production of ?,=A,555 tonnes of urea per annum. The sulphuric acid is used in the field of fertiliFers
explosives, artificial silk, dyes, etc. to name only a few. !eside the 7amrup :ertiliser 3orporation of India ;td.
)roducing =/,A555 tonnes of sulphuric acid per year , there is another unit in production at 'uwahati. The
present unit at 'uwahati is producing 4A,555 tonnes annually.
At present there is no factory to produce caustic soda, in Assam . The industries which consume caustic
soda may be put up as follows2 *i+ )ulp mill for writing paper, *ii+ 7ewsprint mill, pulp mill for rayon , *iii+ "oap
and *iv+)etroleum. 1hile other raw materials for paper , rayon, soap and petroleum are abundantly available in
Assam , setting up of a large unit of caustic soda unit will help and accentuate growth and setting up of these
industries.
!esides the petrochemical industry, fertiliser plant and power generation, the natural gas in Assam also
provides a good raw material for the manufacture of polypropylene acid in Assam .
)olypropylene has a wider field of density, dimensional stability, good mechanical strength and superior
appearance blended with enough crystallinity. Its physical properties withstand the high and changing
temperatures. Articles made of polypropylene have been found to be of excellent appearance and is also
moisture proof. :ilms are also being made of )olypropylene. It finds an important use in manufacture of fibres
which are being used as monafils in the production of ropes, nettings, upholstery fabric and many other items
)olypropylene production capacity licensed under different petrochemical schemes in India is 4A,555 tonnes,
but total requirement of this item is /5,555 tonnes. Therefore, it is suggested that a unit be set up in Assam to
match this A,555 tonnes gap.
3arbon !lack is considered as the backbone of the rubber industry at large .The demand for carbon
black in India was estimated 65,555 tonnes by 4B6564. Assam is in a position to contribute 4A,555 tonnes of
carbon black to the type, paint and printing ink industry by manufacturing petroleum coke*3alcine +
I7%8"T-I&" .B?
from refinery waste and utiliFing it as raw material for production of 3arbon !lack.
Acetaldehyde is mostly used in the manufacture of acetic acid, acetic hydride, butanol, penta erythritol ,
etc. Dne of the byproducts in manufacturing acetaldehyde from natural gas *butane or )ropane + wil be 4. per
cent formaldehyde solution. It is suggested that acetene and acetic can be manufactured from natural gas plant
with /5,555 tonnes capacity per year to manufacture all the endCproducts is suggested for Assam by the national
council of Applied &conomic -esearch.
Artificial graphite is as good as natural graphite. &xcept for making of clay graphite crucibles, it
substitutes the natural graphite in all other uses. 1ith all its purity the artificial graphite has exclusive uses as a
high temperature ;ubricant or for electrodes in various chemical manufactures and for petroleum coke which is
abundantly available from the refineries of Assam."o a unit, with a capacity of 45,555 tonnes per annum can
easily be set up in Assam to manufacture various types of graphite utlising the calcinated petroleum coke.
The main raw materials for the production of calcium carbide are chemical quality limestone , petroleum
coke and cheap electricity. In Assam , all these are available . Therefore, setting up of calcium carbide unit may
be worth considering. !ut from the market point of view,Assam is in a disadvantageous position. A small plant
which will cater to the needs of Assam and its neighbouring "tates only has to be planned . (ainly the carbide
will be used for generating acetylene for welding purposes. A small furnace with ?5 tonnes of carbide per day is
being suggested I the industrial development programme for Assam. Acetylene which can be produced from
calcium carbide, is also needed at innumerable consumption points in the "tate in engineering industries.
Te Assam Petro- Cemi$al 3imited 2 &nvisages the manufacture of methanol from natural gas and
conversion of methanol to formaldehyde. The formaldehyde by reacting with urea which will be available from
the 7amrup :ertiliser )lant will produce urea formaldehyde glue and moulding powder. Although, the products
methanol and formalin will be for captive consumption, these two products can also be sold to other consumers
if it gives better profit than converting to synthetic glue and moulding powder. Thus the pro<ect has got great
flexibility in marking the products.
There is a good demand for urea formaldehyde glue in Assam as it is used by plywood industries.
(oulding powder is used by the plastic industries for manufacture of various utility articles. At present, glue is
supplied to various plywood industries in Assam from 3alcutta, :aridabad and !ombay. The price of glue is
very high in Assam . Dnce the glue is locally available at a reasonable
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .B.
price, the demand of glue will increase considerably.
There are many plywood industries in Assam and almost all of them are situated in 8pper Assam . There
are immense possibilities in the "tate for factories to manufacture chip board, etc. 1ith the availability of glue
locally it would be possible for the existing plywood industries to expand their production and this would give a
great impetus to exploit the forest resource of the "tate and also lead to the development of a number of other
industries based on forest produce. &ven chipped off wastes of timbers can be converted into water proof
building materials with synthetic glue.
The availability of urea formaldehyde moulding powder will encourage establishment of a number of
plastic processing industries I n the "tate.
(ethanol and formaldehyde are closely related products . A larger percentage of methanol is used as a
raw material for the production of formaldehyde. At present methanol is only manufactured in India by the
:ertiliFer 3orporation of India at Trombay . A huge quantity of methanol is annually imported from abroad.
!esides, as a raw material for formaldehyde, methanol is also required for a wide range of products such
as paints, synthetic resins, polyester fibres, etc.,also finds applications in aircraft, medicines and as a solvent.
It will be possible to supply about /,055 tonnes of methanol per annum by the Assam petrochemical
unit, to the proposed polyester fibre plant to be established at !ongaigaon. (ethanol can be supplied to
consumers in tank wagons, special vessels and drums.
:ormaldehyde solution which is usually sold in the market contains ?6 per cent formaldehyde, AA per
cent water and = per cent methanol and it is technically known as formalin.
Dver BA per cent of formalin is consumed as a raw material for the manufacture of synthetic glue,
moulding powder and synthetic melamine, :ormaldehyde glue, cresol formaldehyde glue, xylene formaldehyde
glue, various types of moulding powder and polyvinyl alcohol *)>A+ fibre.
:ormalin is also used for manufacture of hexamine, pentaerythritol for textile, etc.
$examine which is the trade name of Q$examethylane titramine Q is a white crystalline powder
manufactured with formalin and ammonia as the main raw material .It is extensively used as a hardener for urea
formaldehyde glue and phenol formaldehyde glue, foaming agent and vulcaniFing accelerator for rubber and
explosives.
I7%8"T-I&" .BA
)entaerythritol is manufactured from formalin and is used mainly in synthetic glue,paint as a plasticiser
in the manufacture of vinyl chloride.
:ormalin is usually sold to the consumers in the tank wagons,special vessels,and drums. :or long
distance transporation,formalin is conveniently transported as paraformaldehyde in paper bagswhich is =5 per
cent formaldehyde and is a white solid substance manufactured by means of condensing formalin.
)araformaldehyde which as a large demand also finds use as insecticides,disinfecant and antiseptic.
At present,the production of formalin in India is too small compared to its demand and this is mainly
due to the shortage of methanol. Therefore,a considerable quantity of )araformaldehyde is now imported.
)roduction of these materials by Assam )etrochemical ;td. will save a huge amount of foreign exchange for the
country as a whole. (elamine is a very important plastic material and also has wide use in the manufacture of
melamine resins which are used for moulding powder, textile industry,laminated board,etc. (elamine can be
used for the manufacture of plastic utility articles such as cups,plates,tumblers,etc.
3urrently,over A,555 tonnes of melamine are being imported every year into India. "etting up of units
for manufacture of these goods will save the country substantial foreign exchange.
The main raw material for the manufacture of melamine are ammonia and urea and these are available
from the 7amrup :ertiliFer plant.
(ethyl (ethacrylate 2 (ethyl methacrylate *((A+is very important plastic and has very wide use
including those of defence requirements. The raw materials required for the manufacture of methyl
methacrylate are hydrocynic acid,methanol,ammonia,natural gas,sulphuric acid and acetone. &xcept for acetone
which has to be brought from !ombay other raw materials will be available at 7amrup. The Assam
)etrochemical limited is also planning to set up an acetone plant in Assam using refinery offgas or other
suitable substances. Acetone has to be carried from !ombay for a few years in the initial stage.
$ydrocyanic acid will be manufactured by catalytic synthesis between ammonia,natural gas and air.
$ydroacetone forms acetone cynohydrin. This intermediate product when reacted with acetone in presence of
sulphuric acid forms methyl methacryylate monomer. This being a monomer,needs refining to obtain a pure
product.
1hen the monomer is polymerised,it becomes methylmethacrylate polymer,a pure substance which can
be utilised for manufacturing sheets,pellets,rods,etc. (ethylmethacrylate which is a thermoplastic product is
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .B0
#artificial glass# and generally known as windresisting glass or organic glass, and is called the ##Hueen of
)lastics## owing to chemical resisting properties,its transparency and its beautiful lustre. It is widely used in
advertising boards,buildings,lighting appliances and industrial equipments.
The manufacture of methyl methacrylate in Assam will meet the demand of India for quite some years
and save foreign exchange to a considerable extent.
/0
1ith the planned development of various industries,based on petroleum resources of the "tate there will
be a profound in the economy of 7ortheastern India and the sluggish economy of Assam will vibrate with a new
life and vitality.
1hile the potential of oil appears fairly well set with the recent oil struck at -udrasagar and more
recently at ;akwa and 'eleki,natural gas is almost entirely dependent on further reserves being proved. In so far
as new structures have been discovered,this possibility cannot be ruled out. In the case of coal,an appreciable
reduction on the demand due to dieselisation of the railway in the region has been taken into account. It is
envisaged that this would be more than offset by increased demand for the cement industry in Assam and
utilisation of Assam coal in the cocking blends at steel centres in 1est !engal.
!esides increased production of sillimanite,utilisation of the other ceramic materials have also been
considered. The possibility of utilising the recently discovered iron in the 'oalpara and Kamrup districts using
natural gas for production of spongeiron has been decreased.
Among the various minerals that may be taken up for investigation to implement the programme of
development are 2
Coal:- *a+%etailed providing of low ash coal in the (akum field, *b+&xploration for coal in the
Karbi Anglong district.
2elds!ar :- :eldspar occur in pegmatites in the Archacean gneissic complex in the Karbi Anglong,7orth
3achar $ills,'oalpara and Kamrup.
Iron ore :- -ecently,the geological "urvey of India has intensified the search for metalliferous deposits
in Assam. As a result,occurrence of banded magnetic quartFite,similar to the "alem iron ores of (adras,have
been found in 1est 'oalpara and along the Kamrup border. The bands on the 3handordinga $ill on the north
bank of the !rahmaputra,west of 'oalpara and also the one on the hill south of $ahim in Kamrup district are
reported to be fairly large.
I7%8"T-I&" .B6
The total reserves may be of the order of A5 million tonnes.
The proportion of magnetite in the rock is reported at /A to ?5 per cent and the total iron content may be
upto A5 per cent.
,+!sum :-A gypsiferous shale has been reported in the %isama -eserve :orest in the Karbi Anglong
district. In view of the importance of this mineral to the cement industry,which has to be brought from a far as
!ikaner in -a<ashthan,the investigation of the occurrence assumes great importance.
Salt :-!rine springs occur in !hubhan $ills in 3achar district. "mall quantities of salt were extracted
from these. $owever,the sources are small and large scale production cannot be thought of .
2ire-Cla+ :- :ire3lay occurs in association with coal in the (akum coalfield. Though the reserves have
not been estimated so far,the deposit is reported to be large. !esides,a number of clay horiFons varying in
thickness from 4 to A metres are found associated with coal seams near Koila<an. The reserves have not been
assessed but according to one source as much as A0 million tonnes may be available here. "amples from the
horiFon at the base of the "ylhet limestone are reported to be promising for high grade refractories.
)resence of copper has been reported from (eghalaya hills in 'oalpara district.
In view of poor copper resources of India,its above occurrence should be investigated further.
Dver and above these,liquified petroleum gas can be burnt in stoves for heating appliances for domestic
cooking. The manufacture of stoves and burners may be undertaken with a moderate degree of business risk.
The 3entral :uel -esearch Institute,%hanbad,has evolved a technique for economic use of Indian coal
for manufacture of calcium carbide. The suitable composition was made by blending Assam coal,petroleum
coke,and wood charcoal. !esides the above materials,lime is required. All these above materials are available in
Assam. 'uwahati being the main market the suitability of putting up a unit near 'uwahati is suggested.
There is also immense potentialities for the development of the following industries in the "tate *i+Tea,
*ii+wooden electrical accessories *iii+trucks and bus body building *iv+(echanised carpentry *v+;eather tanning,
*vi+;eather foot wear,*vii+!one meal,etc.
2ormation o. State ,o*ernment Cor!oration .or De*elo!ment o. Industries :- In order to formulate
suitable infrastructural and followup guidance
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- .B=
in the sphere of industrial development in the "tate,the 'overnment set up a number of corporations to work as
its agency in respect of functions entrusted to each of them. These are as follows 2
Assam Small Industries de*elo!ment Cor!oration 3td. :- This corporation was established in the
year 4B0/ under the Indian 3ompanies Act. The ob<ectives of the 3orporation,inter alia are *i+to
promote,establish and set up small scale industries in the "tate with a view to transferring any of such small
industries ultimately to entrepreneurs who evidence interest and keeness in setting up such small industries,*ii+to
aid,assist,counsel and finance any industrial undertaking with capital,credit and resources, *iii+to
promote,establish,and execute industrial pro<ect or enterprise for manufacture and production of various
pro<ects,*iv+to promote and operate schemes for small industries, *v+to procure capital and financial assistance
or provide machinery and other facilities for the purpose of establishment of industries and *vi+to assist small
scale industrial units in getting essential raw materials.
The 3orporation took over a number of units from the Industries %epartment to run them commercial
basis,one of which is match "plint :actory,!i<ni. The other units are 2
"a#Assam A+ur*edi$ Produ$ts :-This units has been successfully manufacturing a wide range of
ayurvedic which have been well received throughout the "tate.
"'#Ca$ar Te4tile Industries5&adar!ur :- This unit came up with 4B0 powerlooms with a siFing and
calendering plant. !esides commercial manufacturing of gray cloth, the unit had also a training unit. After
running the unit for about eight years,the powerlooms have recently been distributed to a number of local
entrepreneurs. The 3orporation is running the siFing and the calendering plant to help the powerloom units run
by private entrepreneurs.
"$#Distri'ution o. ra( materials :- :or distribution of raw materials,the 3orporation has depots at
'uwahati,Tinsukia,9orhat,!ongaigaon,TeFpur and !adarpur from where small scale units can get supply of
essential raw materials.
"d#Programme o. Assistan$e :
"i#0ini Industrial State :8nder its programme of assistance to small scale industries,the 3orporation
has also taken up scheme for setting up mini industrial estates and developing industrial areas in different
important places of the "tate. Two mini industrial estates have already come up,one at 7orth ;akhimpur and the
other at "ibsagar. (ini industrial estates in many other places are under different stages of implementation. A
vast industrial area has been
I7%8"T-I&" .BB
developed ad<acent to the Industrial &state,'uwahati. In his industrial area,plots of land and builtinindustrial
sheds have been provided to a number of entrepreneurs. (any of them have already gone into production.
"ii#Su!!l+ o. ma$iner+ on ire !ur$ase : In order to aid and patronise small scale industries,during
the /
nd
plan,the government of India introduced a scheme of supply of machinery on hire purchase under the
7ational "mall Industries 3orporation *a 'ovt. of India undertaking+. In Assam,the scheme for supply of
indigenous machinery to ""I units upto a limit of -s. 4 lakh in each case was taken up by this 3orporation in the
year 4B6/6?.
"iii#Pro*ision o. Seed 0one+ : To enable local young entrepreneurs to obtain assistance from banks
and financial institutions,the 3orporation provides them with seed money towards the margin required for the
purpose.
"i*#En=uit+ Parti$i!anttion : 8nder this scheme the 3orporation has participated in the share capital of
some small scale units.
"*#S!e$ial Em!lo+ment Programme : 8nder the special employment programme undertaken by the
3orporation a number of small scale units like bakery,tailoring,umbrella assembly,su$ari making,atta
!haki,mustard and sesame seed crushing and dehydration of ginger,etc., were taken up. The entrepreneurs were
given financial assistance in the form of loan in soft terms to meet their entire capital requirement.
"e#Training Programme : 8nder the 3orporation#s Training programme,a large number of local
youngmen have been trained in different fields of industry.
".#Consultan$+ : To guide and advise young entrepreneurs ,the 3orporation set up a consultancy cell
attached to its head office at 'uwahati. !esides providing advice and information regarding development of
small scale industries,this 3ell publishes pro<ect profiles for different small scale industries from time for
circulation among prospective entrepreneurs .1here an entrepreneur is required to obtain a pro<ect report from
private consultant,the entrepreneur concerned is given a subsidy towards cost of pro<ect report.
Assam Industrial De*elo!ment Cor!oration 3td. : This 3orporation was incorporated in the year
4B0A with the ob<ectives to promote,establish,assist and finance industrial pro<ects or enterprises,companies and
associations for the purpose of development of industries in the "tate.
In fulfilment of these ob<ectives the 3orporation has already taken up the following pro<ects 2
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A55
a+ Assam )etro3hemical ;td.
b+ 3achar "ugar (ills ;td.
c+ :ertichem ;td.
d+ 3hemical unit of Associated Industries *Assam+ ;td.
e+ Assam 3onductors G Tubes ;td.
f+ 9ute mill at %algaon.
In addition to this,the A.I.%.3. ;td. $as participated in the share capital of 7orth Assam Agro Industries
3ooperative "ociety for setting up of a rice bran oil plant at -owta in the %arrang district. The 3orporation has
taken over management of Assam 'lass Industries )vt. ;td. !esides these industrial units,the 3orporation has
also obtained a number of licences for industries like *i+manufacture of cigarettes, *ii+sponge iron, *iii+card
board, *iv+ portland cement, *v+ carbon black, *vi+maiFe products, *vii+cotton yarn, *viii+ melamine,
*ix+brewery,etc.
Assam Hills Small Industries de*elo!ment Cor!oration 3td. ,u(aati :-
As the hill districts of the "tate are relatively backward in industrial growth,the "tate 'overnment
constituted a separate small Industries %evelopment 3orporation ;td.to take up the sub<ect intensively. The
3orporation was incorporated in (arch,4B0= with the principal ob<ective of development of small scale
industries in the two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and 7orth 3achar $ills. !ecause of steep terrains the district
were without infrastructural facilities,even for minimum development. The lack of entrepreneurship which is a
problem for the entire extremely acute in the hill districts. As such,the Assam $ills "mall Industries
%evelopment 3orporation ;td.had not taken steps for development of industries but also to create
entrepreneurial skill in these areas. 1ith this end in view and in order that the industries in the hill districts could
be developed on the resources available there and also that the people can be associated with the devel
opmental activities,the 3orporation carried out a technoeconomic survey and identified the possibilities of
industrial development. The 3orporation undertook schemes to set up the following industrial units by
themselves.
*4+Khandsari sugar mill at (ania near %iphu.
*/+A fruit preservation unit at !aro$aflong in 7.3. $ills.
*?+The second khandsari sugar mill at Kheroni in the Karbi Anglong district.
*.+A solvent extraction plant at $owraghat in the Karbi Anglong district.
*A+A battery of lime making units both in Karbi Anglong and 7orth 3achar $ills.
I7%8"T-I&" A54
*0+A number of citronella oil extraction plants in Karbi Anglong and 7.3.$ills.
*6+'inger %ehydration and olearesin unit in 7.3.$ills.
*=+3innamon oil extraction plant in 7.3.$ills.
*B+Dil seed crushing mills.
*45+Timber seasoning plants.
Assam ,o*ernment mar)eting Cor!oration 3td. : The Assam 'overnment (arketing 3orporation
;td. was established in %ecember,4BA= with the primary ob<ective of marketing the products of the cottage
industries,handicrafts and small scale industries of the "tate. The 3orporation has under it a chain of emporia
within the "tate as also in the important cities like %elhi and 3alcutta. The 3orporation during the last decade
made special efforts for marketing of handloom and handicrafts products. It also undertook training schemes
under the "pecial &mployment )rogramme. The 3orporation has recently been transferred to the "ericulture and
1eaving %epartment of the "tate 'overnment.
Assam 2inan$ial Cor!oration :- This 3orporation has been making substantial contribution towards
industrial development in Assam and in other "tates of the 7orth&astern -egion by giving financial assistance
to industrial units in the form of block capital.
Assam Tea Cor!oration 3td. : After India became independent,the !ritish tea interest in Assam
naturally suffered and a spurt in sales of !ritish tea gardens started. The !ritish tea estates in Assam were being
sold to the first bidder who were mainly from the trading community. They appeared to be more interested in
immediate profit then in long term development of the industry. As a result,the production in a number of tea
gardens gradually declined. There was a loss of quality to. As tea is one of the few most important foreign
exchange earners for the country and also in view of the fact that tea has built up the entire secondary sector of
the "tate#s economy,and also that a number of tea gardens fell in the hands of inexperienced management,the
"tate 'overnment formed the Assam Tea 3orporation ;td. in a bid to save the tea industry. The 3orporation was
incorporated in the year 4B6/ with the primary ob<ective of purchasing and or take over management of tea
gardens where such purchase or take over was considered necessary. The 3orporation has by now purchased
many tea estates. "ome of the tea estates purchased by the 3orporation have the reputation of being the best tea
estates in this region,because the production and the profit of these tea estates have been increasing since the
take over by the 3orporation.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A5/
D.Po(er :Assam has the highest power potential in the country,based on water,natural gas,coal and oil.
The hydroelectric potential available in the "tate is estimated at 4/ million K.1.,ie.,about ?5J of India#s hydro
power resources excluding that of the !rahmaputra which is itself ?5 million K.1.at 05J load factor on the
basis of minimum discharge. This represents one of the largest concentration of hydro power potential in the
world. In spite of the bounties of nature,Assam is one of the least development "tate in India as dearth of power
has been a limiting factor to industrial development in the "tate.
%uring the preindependence period,not to speak of the rural areas,even the urban population in most of
the towns of Assam were used to kerosene lights for want of power.
After the independence attempts were made to generate hydraulic power in the "tate. )rior to the first
:ive Eear )lan,there were only seven small undertakings with an installed capacity centre. In addition,there were
a few private power generating stations worked by the railways,collieries and oil fields with an installed
capacity of /.B5? K.1. The period from 4BAA to 4BA= of the "econd )lan saw a substantial expansion in Assam#s
power output from B.= million K.1.T. To 4=.56 million K.1.T. consequent upon the commissioning of the
8mtru $ydel )lant in 4BA6. The %epartment of &lectricity came up in 4BA4 and the "tate &lectricity !oard was
constituted in 4BA=.
%uring the first two plan periods,however,power development in the "tate was very slow. The per capita
consumption of electrical energy in 4B0504 was only /..0 K.1. as against the all India average of ?/ K.1. The
installed capacity in the "tate in 4BA6 was only 4.555 K.1. generated mostly from diesel sets except from
8mtru $ydro&lectric )ro<ect. Thus during the first two plan periods,twothirds of the total electricity output
was generated from oil plants. %uring the :irst )lan,the output from oil plants increased from ... million K.1.$
.to 6.= million K.1.$. The Assam &lectricity !oard which came into being in 4BA= undertook the following
ma<or pro<ects estimated to generate the total capacity of 4,65,555,K.1. during the Third :ive Eear )lan.
*a+ 8miam $ydro &lectric )ro<ect.
*b+ 7amrup Thermal )ro<ect
*c+ 'aro $ills "tream )ower )ro<ect.
*d+ 'uwahati Thermal )ower )ro<ect.
The construction of the first phase of hydroelectric pro<ect was taken up on the 8mtru -iver in the year
4BA.. This station with an installed capacity of =.. (.1. was commissioned in 4BA6. In the year 4B05,the
8mium $ydroelectric pro<ect with an installed capacity of /0 (.1. was taken up for construction. This pro<ect
was commissioned in the year 4B0A.
The installed capacity in Assam was only ? (.1. at the commencement of the :irst )lan. This rose to 45
(.1. in4B0B65 and further to 464 (.1. in 4B6564. Assam#s power position continued to be unsatis
I7%8"T-I&" A5?
factory. )ower generation *about 4A00 (.1.+per capita consumption of electricity *?/.6 Kwh in 4B6066+, and
rural electrification *45.?J+are very much behind the AllIndia average. %uring 4B6.6A,per capita consumption
of electricity in the "tate was one of the lowest in India being only /= K.1.$ and much lower than the national
average of BB K.1.$ during the same year.
The responsibility of coordinated development of generation,transmission and distribution of power in
the "tate lies with the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard *A"&!+. The !oard was bifurcated in 9anuary,4B6A
between the "tates of Assam and (eghalaya as per provision made in the 7orth &astern Areas *-eor
ganisation+Act,4B64. As a result,the 8mium and 8mtru $ydro&lectric )ro<ect under the !oard were transferred
to (eghalaya due to their location within that "tate,3onsequently,power generation in the -econstituted Assam
came down considerably. $owever,power supply from these sources continued to be made for the consumers in
Assam without any break or restriction. "ubsequently,an agreement was arrived at between the (eghalaya
'overnment and the 'overnment of Assam to form a <oint and integrated venture on 4B
th
9anuary,4B6A,by which
the 8mium )ower Installation was transferred to work in an integrated system in coordination with the
3handrapur Thermal "tation district for maximum power generation to facilities power supply in both the "tates
throughout the year.
-espective shares of power for the two "tates during the next 6 years or till a new pro<ect is
developed,have also been agreed upon. At present,Assam has an installed capacity of about 4A0 (.1. with two
ma<or generation stations,viF.,3handrapur Thermal *?5 (.1.+and 7amrup Thermal *44.0 (.1.+and a few
insolated diesel generation station aggregating to approx. 4A (.1.
%uring 4B6564,power generation in erstwhile Assam was of the order on ?AB.A million K.1.$.
"eparate figure of power generation in the reconstituted Assam was available only for the year 4B6A60. In that
year power generation in the reconstituted Assam was ..B.?6 million K.1.$. The table below shows the
generation of power in Assam from different sources over the past few years.
/6

Installed Ca!a$it+ and ,eneration o. Ele$tri$it+ in Assam
Total Installed 3apacity of 'enerating
)lants *(.1.+
Total 8nits 'enerated
*(illion 8nit+
)ower
pur
chased
from
other
*(illion
8nit+
4 / ? . A 0 6 = B 45
4BB5B4
4BB4B/
4BB/B?
4BB?B.
A4/..
A4/..
.A/..
A?/..
/.5
/.5
/.5
/.5

05.5

A4...
A4...
A4...
A?...
4/50..
456B.A
450=.?
B?B.B
5.5/
7.A.

4/50../
456B.A
450=.?
B?B.B
BB0.A
BB0.=
45==.A
446A.?
/6. Statisti!al Hand Book, Assam, 4BBA@ %irectorate of &conomics ans statistics, 'ovt. of Assam, p.456=.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A5.
)attern of power consumption in Assam had undergone noticeable changes since 4B6564. (ore and more
power is now being consumed by industries,tea gardens,defence establishment,etc. Industrial consumption of
power *at low.medium and high voltage+in the "tate increased from 4A..A million K.1.$ in 4B6564 to A/B
million K.1.$ in 4BB?B.. 3onsumption of power by tea gardens has also increased considerably. Thus total
consumption of power in the "tate stood at 4044.55 million K.1.$ in 4BB?B. as against /==.A million K.1.$
in 4B6564 *including (eghalaya and (iForam+. The following table shows the consumption of electricity in
Assam for few years.
/=
"ector 4BB5B4 4BB4B/ 4BB/B? 4BB?B.
4 / ? . A
4.%omestic 4=5.55 /.?./5 /?/.55 ?0B.55
/. 3ommercial 44A.55 44=.55 445.55 4?4.55
?. Industrial )ower 4.B.55 00.A0 65.55 4.B.55
.. Industrial )ower ..5.55 .A6..6 ..=.55 ?=5.55
$igh >oltage
A. )ublic lighting 4..55 A.B/ 46.55 4=.55
0. :ree "upply 45.55 4/A.55 4?A.55 45.55
6. Irrigation /0.55 ?A.B/ ?5.55 ?=.55
=. )ublic 1ater /6.55 ?4./A /6.55 ?A.55
1orks
B. Tea 'arden /.5.55 4==.A? 4B?./5 /?6.55
45. !ulk supply 40A.55 4A=.B. 4A5.55 4A0.55
in the "tate
44. Dutside "tate /4=.55 60.A/ 456.64 ?A.55
4/. -ural Industry A5.55 60.AA 65.55 A?.55
Total 8nits 40?0.55 4A=../= 4AB5.55 4044.55
consumed by the
ultimate consumers
It has been mentioned earlier that power generation within the "tate has come down to a much lower
level due to bifurcation of the "tate &lectricity !oard between Assam and (eghalaya. If adequate attention is
not paid to power developmental programmes in the "tate,there is likelihood of considerable power shortage in
the "tate in view of the likely rise in the demand for power in near future as a result of the developmental
schemes that are being initiated. In order to meet this anticipated shortage of power,a number of pro<ects have
been taken up in hand.
:or distribution of power to all corners of the "tate long distance 00 K> and 4?/ K>
transaction lines have also been installed. %uring the year 4B646/,an

/=. Statisti!al Hand Book, Assam, 4BBA@ %irectorate of &conomics and "tatistics, 'ovt. of Assam, p. 456=.
I7%8"T-I&" A5A
extensive programme of drawal of ?? K>.,44 K>.and ;.T.lines all over the "tate was taken up. Dne //5 K>
transmission line has been completed in the last part of the year 4B6B.
The Tenth annual electric power survey *3.&.A+estimate the peak load and energy requirement of Assam
to increase from 4/5 (>.and 05A million units in 4B6066 to /4. (.1.and 456A million units respectively in
4B6=6B,whereas peak availability and energy availability by the year are placed at =A (1 and 0A. million
units. Thus Assam#s installed capacity for power generation at present is far behind the estimated present
demand. As far as new power generation pro<ects are concerned mention may be made of the following
*i+7amrup Thermal )ower "tation , *ii+ 7amrup 'as Turbine , *iii+ !ongaigaon )ower "tation, *iv+Kopili $ydro
&lectric )ro<ect,*v+3handrapur Thermal )ower "tation, *vi+;akwa 'as Turbine "tation and *vii+ ;ower
!orapani $ydel )ro<ect. The 4
st
extension work of 7amrup Thermal )ower "tation has already been completed
and has been commissioned in 4B6.. The 7amrup 'as Turbine "et has also recently been commissioned.
'uwahati 'as )ro<ect at 7arangi which was commissioned in 4B0. was subsequently shifted to 7amrup and the
reinstallation was completed in 4B6/6?. The 3handrapur Thermal was commissioned in 9une,4B6/.
Namru! Termal Po(er Station :
Dil struck in the 7aharkatia area abounds gas,but the associated natural gas is dependent on the
extraction of crude oil and when the offtake of crude oil to the refineries goes upto /. million tonnes per year
the production of associated gas that will be available for utilisation after meeting the requirement of oil fields,is
very conservatively estimated at about 4.? million cubic metres per day.
The 7ational expert committee recommended the installation of a thermal power station with gas
turbines,along with other gas based industrial installation for timely and proper utiliFation of natural gas found
in 7aharkatia. In (ay 4B0/,the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard started installation of a thermal power station at
7amrup,initially containing three gas turbine generating units of /?,555 K.1 each to be later augmented by one
/?,555 K.1 gas turbine and two /?,555 K.1 steam turbine units,totaling a station installed capacity of about
4,.5,555 K.1 and consuming about 5.A million cubic metres of natural gas per day at A6 per cent load factor.
/B
The plant with total outlay of -s. 4..6A crores for the present was commissioned in April,4B0A.
The power from this plant is available to different industries based on natural gas of which the 7amrup
:ertiliFer plant is the most important. Dther beneficiaries are the tea estate factories,Assam -ailways and
Trading company at %igboi. Dther industries and consumers of the entire upper Assam are able to utilise the
power from this plant. :or the purpose, a vast network of 00 K.>.,?= K.> and 44

/B. 7amru$ (hermal Pro9e!t Su$$lement + (he Assam (riune dated 45
th
April, 4B0A.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A50
K.> transmission and subtransmission lines has also been installed. The main transmission and sub
transmission lines are *i+00 K.> %ouble circuit line, */+ 00 K.>.%ouble circuit line, *?+ 00 K.>."ingle circuit
line, *.+ ?? K.> and 44 K.> subtransmission lines and *A+ 00 K.>. "ingle circuit line.
In order to distribute power,several grid substations on other distributing substations have also been
installed. The associated 00 K.> grid substations are distributed in 0 to 6 places while ?? K.> substations are
provided at several other places. "pecial care has been taken in the alignment of transmission and distribution
lines so that ma<or industrial areas fall within the tea estates and other consuming centres fall within easy reach
of the system.
&ongaigaon Termal Po(er Station : The !ongaigaon Thermal )ower )ro<ect was sanctioned on
4.6.6A at an estimated cost of -s. .6.5/ crores. It was installed near 7andangiri $ill at a considerable distance
from !ongaigaon.
There is one powerful turbo generator set with provision for extension. The turbine sets are fed by a
system raised in boilers. The required coal is supplied from the 1est!engal!ihar coal mines as the coal of
(argherita;edo contains higher sulphur content.
The required water is drawn locally. The total generation of energy in the power station is 00 crore units
annually.
%o!ili H+dro Ele$tri$ Pro6e$t : )ower generation pro<ect will be completed in two stages at a total cost of -s.
AA to 05 crores.
There will be . stations with potentials for /. (1,64 (1,= (1 and /5 (1 respectively,the total
potential of all these stations thus coming to 6? (1,/?4 (1,/. (1 and 455 (1 continuous.
The total potential of the whole valley development works out to be .00 (1 continuous where an
installation of 4555 (1 can be easily envisaged. The total estimated cost of the entire pro<ect with . stations
coins to -s. 4?. crores.
Dn April /A,4B60,the )rime (inister of India laid the foundation stone of the Kopili $ydro &lectric
)ro<ect which is being executed by the 7orth &astern -egional )ower 3orporation ;imited recently formed for
power development in this region. It is expected that Assam#s requirement of power will be met to a great extent
after completion of the above pro<ects .
The Assam "tate &lectricity !oard has taken up construction of a net work of transmission of power to
the load centres. &leven new single circuit transmission lines are being construction in the "tate. )ower to
Allipurduar also is supplied by the !oard through double circuit line.
In the undivided 'oalpara district of Assam,the power supply was taken over by the "tate &lectricity
!oard since 4BA6 by phases. A beginning was made by starting thermal stations in 'oalpara and Kokra<har
towns while diesel generating sets were installed with initial capacities of 4/. K> at 'oalpara and 4A5 K.1 at
Kokra<har. )ower supply in %hubri town was managed by the 7ational )ower "upply 3orporation which had
been functioning in the district since 4BA. and
I7%8"T-I&" A56
prior to that another private company supplied electricity in this town for some years. The !oard took over
power supply in %hubri in 4B00 making a beginning with %iesel generating sets. The number of power stations
under the management of the "tate &lectricity !oard increased to three in 4B00,and in 4B64,another station with
a /A K1. %iesel set was commissioned at (ancachar.
At present,the !oard supplies electricity to the from 8mium 8mtru 3handrapur power stations through
gridsub stations.
A thermal power pro<ect with two 05 (.1. Turbo generator sets extension by another ?K05 (.1 set has
been undertaken near !ongaigaon by the !oard which is extending electrification to other towns and even rural
areas in phased manner.
It may also be mentioned that some big industries including including the tea industry have own power
houses at !ongaigaon and :akiragram 9unctions.
)ower supply and its development in the undivided %arrang district are of very recent origin. )rior to the
formation of the Assam "tate electricity !oard in 4BA=,there was only one diesel power station run by the
TeFpur )ower "upply 3ompany )vt. ;td.at TeFpur to supply power to the town. In 4BA=,the Assam "tate
electricity !oard took over this 3ompany and subsequently in 4BAB installed ? more diesel sets in the
district,one each at %hekia<uli,3harali and (angaldoi towns. :or the management of the power supply in the
district,the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard has now opened one &lectrical %ivision at %hekia<uli,!alipara and
(angaldoi. :ollowing the completion of the long distance 4?/ K.> double circuit transmission line crossing
over the !rahmaputra at )andu in 4B06,the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard has began to supply hydroelectricity
to TeFpur "tation since 9anuary,4B0.. The diesel stations were kept as a stand by from that time.
In 9anuary,4B0B,the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard installed a diesel set at %hekia<uli,and another diesel
set at 3harali in 9uly,4BAB.
In 4B0=,all the diesel stations of %hekia<uli,3harali and (angaldoi became hydroelectricity
transformer.
"upply and distribution of power in the undivided 7agaon district have been undertaken by the "tate
&lectricity !oard in the year 4BA=. )rior to this it was under the control of )ower %epartment of the 'overnment
of Assam. The first electrification scheme in the undivided 7agaon district was started in the year 4B.5 by a
private company,which ran upto 4B.B.
After taking over the scheme by the "tate &lectricity !oard,the source of power supply was diesel
generating set which continued till 9une 4B65,and after that some portion of the 7agaon town was connected to
8mium 'rid "ystem. In case of its failure,power is supplied from the stand by %iesel )ower station which is
situated near the 7agaon -ailway "tation. $o<ai was connected with hydraulic power system during the third
five year plan only.
The power house at %iphu was set up by the "tate &lectricity !oard, Assam in 4BA6 and commissioned
in 4BA= with two generating sets. 3onsequently with
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A5=
the increase of load another set was installed in 4B0?. 1ith the further increase of load,one more set was
installed in 4B0A. In (arch,4B0=,the 7amrup Thermal )ower supply was energiFed and connected with %iphu.
The power house is now kept as stand by supply during the period of interruption or lowering down of the load
in the main line. !y now "iloni,(ahindu<ur and ;umba<ong also are covered by electrification system of the
!oard.
)ower $ouse at $aflong was installed by the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard in 4BB0. It has two
generating sets and it extends service upto (aibong and (ahur. !ut the capacity of the )ower $ouse is very
limited.
"upply and distribution of power in the urban areas of the undivided "ibsagar district have in recent
years been undertaken by the "tate &lectricity !oard. All the "tate power stations of this district are run by diesel
oil. There is every possibility of $ydroelectric pro<ect being installed in the district in near future. All the tea
gardens have their own diesel power generating sets though the "tate &lectricity !oard has now extended their
supply system throughout the gardens of the district.
The following stations are supplied with energy from the "tate electricity "upply,9orhat,through tension
line 2 *4+Assam &ngineering 3ollege, */+ regional -esearch ;aboratory, *?+<orhat 3ivil hospital and *.+ -owriah
Airfield.
Dne generating set each at "ibsagar and 'olaghat has been installed. The Toklai experimental
"tation,3innamara,(ariani,7aFira,9oysagar town,"imaluguri,:arkating have been electrified.
!oth Tinsukia district and %ibrugarh distri$t ave high power potential based on water,natural gas,coal
and oil. Two private electric supply companies were operating at %ibrugarh and Tinsukia.
The 3ompanies were taken over by the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard in 4B6/. Dver and above
these,Assam Dil 3ompany,%igboi,Dil India ;td.,%ulia<an,and Assam -ailway and Trading 3ompany ;td.,
(argherita have their own electric supply units. These 3ompanies are generating electricity mainly for their own
use but sometimes they supply power for public use also.
)rior to constitution of the !oard,the "tate &lectricity department started two diesel stations one at 7orth
;akhimpur in ;akhimpur district and the other at %oom%ooma in Tinsukia district in 4BA6A=. Then with
constitution of the !oard,the programme was extended to cover almost all the towns of both %ibrugarh and
Tinsukia districts during the period from 4BA= to 4B6/.
In 3achar,prior to Independence there was only one power station at "ilchar which was under the control
of the "ilchar &lectric "upply 3ompany ;td.established in 4B/=. In 4BA/,Karimgan< &lectric "upply 3o.
;td.came into being but it was acquired by the 'overnment in 4BA0 for its inefficiency. 1ith the e stablishment
of the Assam "tate &lectricity !oard in 4BA=,the "ilchar &lectricity "upply 3o. ;td.was also taken over by the
'overnment.
The district is now served by the substation at )anchgram near !adarpur.
I7%8"T-I&" A5B
There is another power station at %urlavcherra which supplies electricity to the whole of Tripura and a part of
3achar.
7otwithstanding the fact that the !rahmaputra!arak basin and the eastern $imalayas account for more
than ?5 per cent of India#s total hydroelectric power potential of =.,555 (1,Assam#s power scenario makes a
grim reading. The installed generating capacity in Assam stands at about A.5 magawatt *(1+which is a more
5.6A per cent of the country#s total installed capacity of 65,555 (1. In 4BB/B?,while the per cent capita electric
energy consumption was /=4..= Kwh *Kilowatt hours+for the country as a whole,that of Assam#s stood at only
45A Kwh.
At present,the !ongaigaon Thermal )ower "tation *!T)"+runs on coal from !engal!ihar belt,is the
largest power plant in the 7ortheast with an installed capacity of /.5 (1. The installed capacity of the first
natural gas based 7amrup Thermal )ower "tation *7T)"+has raised from 0B (1 to 4??.A (1. The ;akwa
Thermal )ower "tation *;T)"+has four gas turbine sets each with a 4A (1 capacity. At Kathalguri and
'eleki,the A"&! has installed mobile gas turbine generating sets.
!ased on the ##:ourteenth electric )ower "urvey of India## published by the 3entral electricity
Authority,the energy availability in Assam works out to be 40A0 (kwh against the energy requirement of ??.=
(kwh thereby creating a deficit of 40B/ (kwh *A5.A?J+.
Two important power generation pro<ects now in the process of completion are the Kathalguri Thermal
)ower )ro<ect,a /65 (1 pro<ect of the 7orth eastern &lectric )ower 3orporation *7&&)3D+and the /=A (1
Amguri 3ombinedcycle )lant of A"&!.
?5
Rural Ele$tri.i$ation : In Assam,the pace of electrification in the country side had been rather slow. Till
the end of 4B666= only /,/06 villages or 45.?J of the total village in the "tate were electrified as against ?=J
for the 3ountry as a whole. The number of irrigation pump setsMtubewells energised till the end of ?4
st
(arch,4B6= stood at 4,5A..
In 4BB?B.,the total number of electrified villages has gone up to /4,.BA which works out to be =6.4 per
cent of the total number of villages in Assam. 1ith release of funds from the -ural &lectrification 3orporation
the number of villages electrified is expected to rise in 4BB.BA. In the same financial year,it has been proposed
to electrify .5 villages under the "tate )lan.
E.3a'our and Em!lo+er:s Organisation :
The "tate of Assam has a number of labour organisations or trade unions in the different industrial
establishments.
Tea Industr+ : The following employer#s associations are functioning in tea industry of the "tate 2
*4+Assam !ranch India Tea Association, */+Assam Tea )lanters# Association, *?+ !haratiya 3hah )arisad, *.+
Indian Tea )lanters# As
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A45
sociation and *A+Assam !engal India Tea Association. Df all these &mployers# Associations,the Assam !ranch
India Tea Association calls for special mention.
/. The A.!.I.T.A was formed following a meeting hold at Kokilamukh on the /B
th
Dctober,4B=B and was
originally called the Assam >elley Tea Association. The Assam !ranch Indian Tea Association is divided into 40
circles which are grouped in the three Fones as follows 2
?one /. %oom %ooma,%ibrugarh,)anitola,Tingri,7aharkatia and (oran.
?one < . "onari,7aFira,9orhat and 'olaghat.
?one @ . 7agaon,!iswanath,TeFpur,!arsala,(angaldai and 7orth ;akhimpur.
&ach circle is represented in the appropriate Fone committee and also on the general committee in which
is vested management and control of the association#s affairs. There is an executive subcommittee of the general
committee to assist the chairman in arriving at decisions of matters of urgency when time does not permit of a
reference to the general committee. The !ranch 3hairman and also committee members are elected annually.
The office of the !ranch "ecretary and 9oint "ecretary of ;abour are at %ikom in %ibrugarh district. In each
Fone,there is ,one "ecretary and an Additional "ecretary ,their offices being located at 3haukhowa *Fone
4+,3innamara *Fone /+ and "onabeel Tea &state *Fone ?+.
The ob<ective of the Association are to watch over and safeguard the interest of its members and labour
employed on member estates. 3lose contact with the 'overnment of Assam is maintained by the Association#s
adviser and with district officials by the Fone stipendiary officers. There is also constant liaison with the parent
Association,i.e.,Indian tea Association in 3alcutta and with sister Associations elsewhere on matters of common
interest. The association#s stipendiary officers advise members on labour and other problems and assist them in
negotiation with trade unions and in proceedings under the Industrial under the Industrial %ispute Act. The
Association also represents members on various tripartite committees set up by the 'overnment to advise on
matters of labour policy.
<. The Assam Tea )lanters Association is another employer#s organisation in the "tate established to safeguard
the interests of small tea growers. The headquarters of the Association are now at 9orhat. The formal
inauguration of the Association was made in the year 4B?A under the name of Assam >alley Tea )lanter
Association,but in 4B.6 when "ylhet was carved out of Assam,the name was shortened to Assam Tea )lanter#s
Association.
The aims and ob<ects of the Association are *4+to promote the common interest of all persons concerned
in the cultivation of tea in India particularly of the tea planters of Assam and the welfare of the labour
employed, */+ to keep in touch with 'overnment in matters affecting the tea industry and *?+to maintain close
association with the industry with the same or like ob<ects in view and to ensure uniformity in all garden
practices amongst the member estates.
'enerally,one tea estate is a member of one association but some gardens
I7%8"T-I&" A44
are members of more than one association. These associations are advisory bodies of their members and see to
the interest of the members in matters of business,industrial relations and progress of the industry.
Assam Chah Karma!hari Sangha,Assam Chah ,a;door Sangha and Sramik 8nion are the organisation
for employees functioning in the "tate. Assam Chah Krama!hari Sangha is the organisation for staff other than
the manual workers. It is affiliated to the Indian 7ational Trade 8nion 3ongress. Its head office is located at
%ibrugarh. Assam Chah ,a;adoor "angha is an organisation of the manual labourers and is also affiliated to
Indian 7ational 8nion 3ongress. Its headoffice is also located at %ibrugarh. !esides these two
associations,there are also branches of Bharatiya Chah ,a;door Sangha affiliated to All India Trade 8nion
3ongress in some tea gardens of Assam and they are also working amongst the tea labourers. 3achar Sramik
8nion looks after the tea garden labourers of 3achar district.
!esides the employers# associations in the tea industry there are only a few other employers# association
in the "tate of Assam. The most important association are *4+the railway and Trading 3ompany,(argherita
&mployer#s# Drganisation is affiliated to the *a+Indian (ining Association,3alcutta, *b+!engal 3hamber of
3ommerce and Industry,3alcutta, *c+&astern India Tea 3hest and )lywood (anufacturer#s
Association,(argherita, *d+Indian )lywood (anufactures# research Association,!anglore@ */+ Assam
(anufacturers# Associations, *?+ All India (anufacturers# Association , *.+ Assam -ice and oil (ills Associa
tions, *A+ Assam 3hamber of Inter"tate 3arriers.
Trade union activities are predominant in Assam. The workers of almost all factories and industrial
establishments are organised as trade unions. (ost of these are affiliated to Indian 7ational Trade 8nion
3ongress or All India Trade 8nion 3ongress. $owever,there are few exceptions which claim to be independent
of any affiliation to such bodies. The Indian national Trade 8nion 3ongress has branches all over Assam.
There are many labour organisations in the "tate. The following are some of the important labour
organisations 2
"/# The Assam 3olliery ,a;door 3ongress *affiliated to the I7T83+, !oragoli.
"<# The Assam 3oal (ines 1orkers# 8nions, *affiliated to the AIT83+;edo.
"@# The Assam -ailways and Trading 3ompany 1orkers# 8nion (argherita.
"A# The ;akhimpur %istrict !rick 1orkers# 8nion ;edo.
"B# The A.! G T.3o. ,a;door 8nion *affiliated to AIT83+, (argherita.
"C# The TeFpur Dil G -ice (ills ,a;door Sangha with their respective of
fices at TeFpur *affiliated to Indian 7ational Trade 8nion 3ongress+.
"D# The %arang (ill ,a;door 8nion,TeFpur.
"E# TeFpur Industrial &mployee#s 8nion, *affiliated to Indian 7ational Trade
8nion 3ongress+.
"F# (akunda Sramik 8nion,3achar.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A4/
*45+ 3achar (ills 1orkers# 8nion.
*44+ 3achar %istrict !iscuits 1orkers# 8nion,!anamali,Karimgan<.
*4/+ The All Assam 7ation )ictures &mployees# 8nion.
*4?+ Assam "pun (ill 1orkers# 8nion,9agiroad.
"/A# 7agaon =illa (il ,a;door 8nion.
"/B# Assam (atch 3oSramik Sangha,%hubri.
"/C# 'oalpara =illa !idi 1orkers# 8nion,%hubri.
"/D# ;ower Assam (ill ,a;door Sangha,%hubri.
*4=+ A(33 Technicians# 8nion, %hubri
*4B+ A(3D "taff 8nion, %hubri.
"<;# %hubri )lywood :actory ,a;door 8nion, %hubri.
*/4+ %hubri 9ute 1orkers# Association.
*//+ A(3D &mployees# 8nion,%hubri.
*/?+ %hubri )ress 1orkers# 8nion.
*/.+ Ashok )aper (ills &mployees# 8nion,9ogighopa.
*/A+ Assam Tribune &mployees@ 8nion,'uwahati.
"<C# Kamrup (ill ,a;door Sangha,'uwahati.
*/6+ Assam "tate &lectricity "upply 1orkers# 8nion,at 'uwahati and TeFpur
*/=+ Assam "tate &lectricity &mployees# 8nion,'uwahati.
*/B+ 'oalpara ,illa &lectric "upply 1orkers#8nion,%hubri.
*?5+ TeFpur &lectric "upply &mployees# Association *affiliated to the I7T83+.
*?4+ Kamrup Iron and "till ;imited 1orkers# 8nion,'uwahati.
*?/+ Kamrup Industrial 1orkers# 8nion,'uwahati.
*??+ "teel 1orth 1orkers# union,'uwahati.
*?.+ 'uwahati &ngineering 1orkers# 8nion,'uwahati.
"@B# Assam Khadi !oard 1orkers# 8nion,'uwahati.
*?0+ $ume )ipe ;ine 1orkers# union,Amingaon .
*?6+ Kamrup 3onstruction 1orkers# 8nion,Amingoan.
*?=+ -efinery 1orkers# 8nion, 7oonmati,'uwahati.
*?B+ Assam petroleum 1orkers# 8nion,'uwahati.
*.5+ Tata Dil (ills and Associated 3o.s &mployees# 8nion,'uwahati.
*.4+ !.D.3. )ipe ;ine 1orkers# 8nion,'uwahati.
There is also labour unions in the Assam Dil 3ompany and the plywood factories of 8pper Assam.
2. 3a'our -el.are :
The ;abour %epartments of the 3entral and "tate 'overnment shoulder the responsibility of labour
welfare in the "tate. The departments have been armed with a number of labour legislations passed by the Indian
)arliament and the "tate Assembly. The legislations so far enacted cover public and private sector
establishments. The employers have been brought under the purview of the legislation and are expected to adopt
necessary welfare measures in their establishments. "ome of these acts regulations are 2 *4+ The 1orkers
3ompensa
I7%8"T-I&" A4?
tion Act,4B/?, */+ The Indian Trade 8nion Act, 4B/0, *?+ The Tea %istrict &migrant ;abour Act, 4B?.@ *.+ The
payment of 1ages Act, 4B?0@ *A+ The Assam (aternity !enefit Act,4B..@ *0+ The Industrial &mployment
*"tanding Drders+Act,4B.0@ *6+ The Industrial %ispute Act,4B.6@ *=+ The :actories Act,4B.=@ *B+ The Assam
"hips and &stablishments Act,4B.=@ *45+ The (inimum wages Act,4B.=@ *44+The 3oal (ines )rovident :und
and !onus "chemes Act,4B.=@ *4/+ &mployees :und Act,4B.=@ *4?+&mployees "tate Insurance Act,4B.=@ *4.+
The (otor Transport 1orkers Act,4BA4@ *4A+ The )lantation ;abour Act,4BA4 and *40+The Assam )lantations
provident :und "cheme Act,4BAA,etc.
These acts and regulations cover a wide range of labour welfare measures such as housing ,medical,
education ,nutrition ,establishment of canteens,etc.,rest and recreation ,day nurseries,sanitations,holiday with pay
and sickness benefits.
The ;abour %irectorate of the 'overnment of Assam is responsible for the implementation of the above
acts and regulations. The said %irectorate consists of several officers of different cadres of which the ;abour
3ommissioner is the head .In the headquarters, the ;abour 3ommissioner is assisted by one additional ;abour
3ommissioner, one 3hief Inspector for )lantation, one 3hief Inspector for (otor Transport undertakings, one
;abour 1elfare Dfficer, one "pecial Dfficer of ;abour for committees and conferences ,one -egistrar and other
staff. The functions of the labour 1elfare Dfficer relate to the looking after of the interest of workers in welfare
matters. This %irectorate has five administrative Fones each in charge of an Assistant ;abour 3ommissioner .
!esides the enforcement of the acts mentioned earlier,most of the officers from the ;abour 3ommissioner right
upto the rank of labour Inspector functions as concilation offices under the Industrial disputes Act for
maintaining industrial harmony and settling the differences between the employers and the employees. !esides
the officials of the "tate ;abour %epartment stationed a t 'uwahati,3entral ;abour Inspectorate with its
headquarters at 'uwahati is functioning here extending its <urisdiction over Assam,7orth !engal,etc. The
officials of the 3entral Inspectorate have been declared as Inspectors under the following important acts amongst
others *4+ )ayment of wages Act *-ailway -ule+, */+ )ayment of 1ages Act *(ines -ulers+, *?+ (inimum
1ages Act, *.+ $ours of &mployment -egulations , *A+ employment wages of 3hildren Act, *0+ :air 1ages
3lause3.).1.% and (ilitary &ngineering "ervice, *6+ Industrial &mployment "tanding Drders Act, *=+
Industrial %isputes Act,etc.
8nder the :actories Act,4B6=., there is one Inspector of :actories at 'uwahati who works under the
administrative control of the 3hief Inspector of :actories,Assam. $is main functions is to ensure strict
observations of the provisions of the :actories Act.
:or trial of industrial disputes,'overnment of Assam has set up two industrial tribunals one for upper
Assam with headquarters at %ibrugarh and
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A4.
the other for lower Assam including 3achar with headquarters at 'uwahati. Their functions are to ad<udicate the
disputes referred to them by the 'overnment under provisions of industrial %isputes Acts.
:urther,it may be mentioned here that under the :ive Eear )lans the 'overnment of Assam had
undertaken the establishment of community centres for plantation labour in concentrated tea areas with a view to
ameliorating the condition of labour and training up in cultural,social,economic,educational and similar other
activities.
The "tate ;abour %epartment has also established a number of welfare centres for urban industrial
labour in Assam and also arranges training of departmental officers in the sub<ects relating to labour welfare.
The enactment of )lantation ;abour Act in 4BA4 has brought about improvement in the working
condition of the plantation workers in Assam. It is a comprehensive plece of legislation and had put employers
under obligation to all tea,coffee,rubber,cinchonna plantations with an area of /A acres or more and employing
?5 on more persons. It can be extended to other plantations by the "tate 'overnment. It provides for creation of
inspecting staff by the "tate 'overnment and imposition of penalties for contravention of provisions of the Act.
8nder this Act the employers are required to provide drinking water,sufficient latrines and urinals for men and
women,canteens in every plantation where 4A5 or more workers are employed and creches where A5 or more
women are employed. &mployers are also to make arrangements for proper medical and educational facilities
for the workers and their children. )roviding standard type housing accommodations for the workers and their
families is also the responsibility of the employer. !esides maternity and sickness benefits,the workers are
allowed leave with wages. 3hildren below 4/ years are not to work in plantation and night work between 6
).(.and 0 A.(.is prohibited for women and adolescents. 1elfare Dfficers are to be appointed in every plantation
where ?55 or more workers are employed.
In accordance with that Act,free education upto the lower primary standard is provided by the
management on most of the tea estates of Assam. !esides,to provide medical facilities,the management of the tea
estates has established hospitals and dispensaries within their estates.
In tea plantation areas,houses are provided free of charge. In the early thirties and forties. B5J of the
houses in the tea plantations of Assam were Ka!ha houses made of mud walls and thatched roofs. These houses
were devoid of sanitary provisions. There were no latrine,window or "erandha in any house. ;abourers were
required to get their houses repaired themselves. &ven access to labourers# quarters was prohibited to all except
worker#s friends and relatives on grounds of right to private property. The -oyal 3ommission in 4B/B ob<ected to
this recommended that all the plantation areas should be thrown open to the public and there should be !oards
of $ealth and
I7%8"T-I&" A4A
1elfare to determine minimum requirements of housing.
?4
The problem of providing improved housing accommodation came up for discussion at the first
Tripartite )lantation 3onference which held in 7ew %elhi in 9anuary,4B.6. ;ater on,it was discussed at the
second session of the Industrial )lantation 3ommittee#s meeting held in "eptember,4B.B and 7ovember,4BA5.
The Indian Tea Association drew up certain minimum housing specification which were accepted by the
'overnment of Assam. 1ith the enactment of the )lantation ;abour Act,4BA4,responsibility for making
necessary houses for the workers and their families,now rests with the employers of respective tea estates. In
pursuance of this Act,some progress,no doubt,has been made but still much remain to be done especially in
uneconomic and small tea gardens.
The introduction of the Assam Tea )lantation )rovident :und and )ension :und "cheme Act, 4BAA has
ushered in a new era of socioeconomic uplift of the plantation workers in the "tate of Assam. It extends the
statutory guarantee of social <ustice and social security to the working class engaged in the plantation in the
estates.
The scheme of provident fund under the Act is applicable to *a+)lantations having /A or more acres of
land under tea with productions of more than /55 kgs. Df tea per acre,and *b+)lantation having A5 or more acres
under tea irrespective of the rate of production. In pursuance of the provision of the Assam Tea )lantation :und
"cheme *Amendment+Act,4BA=,some small and uneconomic plantations have been exempted form its purview.
The benefits of the 3ontributory )rovident :und are compulsory extended to all categories of employees
barring personnels of managerial and executive cadres and other employees whose total *cash+ emoluments
exceed -s.4555M per month per head. The employees of the tea gardens are classified into three broad
categories,viF.,adult labour,adolescent and children but the :und recognises no such classification for this
membership. The rate of contribution to the provident funds has been raised from 0
4
M
/
J to=J of the wages of the
workers both from the employees.
The scheme provides for advances refundable and non refundable to the members from this provident
fund accumulations on specific grounds. -efundable advances are made available ceremony and death rituals of
a family member and nonrefundable for construction of dwelling house,payment of life insurance
premium,purchase of shares of cooperative societies and subsistence when famine conditions prevail due to
natural calamities and unemployment due to closure of gardens.
The scheme is administered by the !oard of Trustees and the cost of administration is met from a
separate fund created by contributions.

?4. -.3. "exena 2 >aour Prolems and So!ial ?elfare,$) /4.,//6.
A""A( "TAT& 'A,&TT&&- A40
"ince the introduction of the scheme,its functions and scope have been considerably expanded by
adopting other ancillary schemes,viF.,;ife Insurance "cheme through )rovident :und,Dldage )ension "cheme
and :amily )ension "cheme.
;ife Insurance through )rovident :ind was introduced in 4B0? with a view to rendering financial
protection to the family of the deceased member. 1hile extending this additional benefit,it was ensured that no
additional financial burden was put upon the members on that account. The lives of the )rovident :und members
in the age group 4= to .5 years are insured for -s.4555M,-s.A55M and -s./A5M in respect of the clerical
staff,male labourer and female labourer respectively. The papers are assigned to the !oard of Trustees who keeps
these in the custody and prefers claim as and when necessary on the ;ife Insurance 3orporation. This obviates
the medical examination or age proof of individual members and direct payment of premium by employees. The
amount of premium is paid by the !oard of Trustees from the provident fund contributions of a member annually
and the balance is credited to his provident fund account. $owever,on the amount paid off as premium,no interest
is paid by the !oard of Trustees. The cost of administering the scheme is very economical and it is met from the
commission earned on the policies from the ;ife Insurance 3orporation of India.
The pension scheme which provides for oldage pension the workers after retirement was introduced
with effect from /.45.06 covering the entire provident fund members. Its benefits are in addition to the benefit of
the contributory provident fund and insurance without entailing any extra financial burden on the employees and
employers. The fund for the pension scheme was created by provident fund contributions.
The scope of the pension scheme has been much widened since 4...6/ to provide family pension to the
family of a member in the event of his death while in service. The benefit under the oldage pension scheme
would continue in respect of the members who retired or died prior to 4...6/,while the revised pension scheme
including family pension has been made applicable in respect of the member who dies or retries on or after
4...6/. 8nder the new scheme family pension is granted R -s..5J p.m.for life or till remarriage and lump sum
of -s. 4,555M to the family of the deceased member who dies while in service.
?/
The :amily )ension :und comprises the annual contribution made by the 'overnment of India and the
amount annually transferred from the 'eneral )ension :und R 44.0J and /4.?J of the wages of the employees
covered

?/. 3omplied from the Annual of the ?orking of Assam (ea Plantation #m$loyees ?elfare *und A!t)
I7%8"T-I&" A46
under the scheme respectively. !esides,the 'overnment of India have agreed to bear the entire administrative
cost of the :amily )ension "cheme.
The enactment of the Assam Tea )lantation &mployees 1elfare :und Act,4BAB is another landmark in
the history of welfare legislation for the tea employees in the "tate of Assam. 8nder the provisions of this Act a
fund is to be constituted out of the fines realised from the employees in the course of management of the
plantations,all unpaid accumulations,all grants from the "tate or 3entral 'overnment or the Tea !oard,any
voluntary donation,any sum borrowed under "ection = of the Act and any sum unclaimed for forfeited in the
provident fund account of the employees. The fund shall be maintained by the !oard of Trustees constituted by
the "tate 'overnment and shall be applied to meet the expenditure in connection with measures which in the
opinion of the "tate 'overnment are necessary for promoting the welfare of the employees employed in the "tate
of Assam. 1ithout pre<udice to these general provisions,the fund may be utiliFed by the !oard of Trustees to
defray expenditure on adult education,community and social education centres including reading rooms and
libraries,community necessities,games and sports,excursions,tours and holidayhomes@entertainment and other
forms of recreation@homeindustries and subsidiary occupation for women and unemployed persons,corporate
activities of a social nature@cost of administrating the Act including the salaries and allowances of the staff
appointed for the purposes of the Act and such other ob<ects as would in the opinion of the "tate 'overnment
improve the standard of living and ameliorate the social condition of the employees provided that the fund shall
not be utilised in financing any measure which the employer is required under law for the time being in force to
carry out.