Though time and again the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi promised steps to help revival of the tea industry, the incentives offered in this year's Budget have fallen far short of the expectations of the industry and tea sources said that the incentives are far less than those offered by other tea producing states including West Bengal. Even the land revenue rate in Assam is higher than in the other tea producing states of the country. Tea Industry sources told The Assam Tribune that the Chief Minister did not include most of the demands enlisted by the tea associations in the pre-budget memorandum even though the implementation of the same was necessary for the revival of the industry. However, on the positive side, the reduction of the stamp duty for registration of immovable property worth Rs 1 lakh or more from 12 per cent to six per cent would definitely be beneficial for the sick and smaller gardens. Sources pointed out that after the reduction of the stamp duty, it would be easier for the owners of the sick gardens to dispose off their gardens. In the Budget for the current year, the Chief Minister announced reduction of agriculture income tax on tea exported through the Inland Container Depot, Amingaon. He said that it would help Assam tea to become more competitive in the international market. However, tea industry sources said that this step would not be of much help to the industry as a whole. Sources pointed out that only a handful of big tea companies export tea directly through the ICD, Amingaon and most of the gardens of the State are not in a position to export directly. Another major incentive given in the Budget is reduction of CST for tea sold through the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre from one percent to 0.25 percent to encourage sale of tea through the auction centre. Industry sources said that this would, of course, encourage the tea companies to sell tea through the auction centre. The State Government has also proposed to levy cess at the rate of 20 paisa per kilogram of green leaf purchased by the bought-leaf factories and established tea estates who manufacture tea from bought leaf and a development fund for the small and marginal growers is proposed to be created with the money collected. Industry sources said that till now, the bought leaf factories and the small tea growers did not pay any tax to the Government and this measure should not affect the industry as a whole. In fact, this would provide a level playing field to the established tea companies operating in Assam for ages. Tea industry sources revealed that exemption on payment of cess on green leaf was one of the main demands enlisted in the pre-budget memorandum as it put enormous burden on the gardens, but the State Government not even reduced the rates of cess. At present, the gardens of the Brahmaputra Valley have to pay cess at the rate of 32 paise per kilogram of green leaf and the gardens of the Barak Valley have to pay at the rate of 29 paise. The Government should have at least reduced the rates to reduce the burden on the gardens as the Government of West Bengal has already exempted the tea gardens from payment of cess on green leaf to help the revival of the industry, sources added. The Industry also demanded transport subsidy, which was not accepted by the Government. Sources revealed that the land revenue rate in Assam is the highest among the tea producing States of the country and if the higher rates proposed by the Assam Government are implemented, it would put additional burden on the gardens, most of which would not be able to pay the new rates. At present, the gardens of the Brahmaputra Valley have to pay land revenue at the rate of Rs 12 per bigha and the gardens of the Barak valley have to pay at the rate of Rs nine per bigha. In addition to that, the gardens of the State have to pay local tax on land revenue and a surcharge. The Government of Assam has recently proposed to hike the land revenue at the rate of Rs 22 per bigha for the Brahmaputra valley and Rs 16 for Barak Valley. If the proposed hike is put into effect, the total impact along with local tax and surcharge would be Rs 34 per bigha for the Brahmaputra Valley and Rs 24.80 for the Barak valley. Among the other tea producing states of the country, the land revenue in West Bengal including road cess and rural employment surcharge is around Rs 14.60 per bigha, while, it is around Rs seven per bigha in Tamil Nadu and Rs 7.02 in Kerala, sources added.