After very severe cyclone Phailin and subsequent floods, salt manufacturers in Odisha's Ganjam district have been dealt yet another blow with the Centre increasing the ground rent by a substantial sum.
Most salt manufactures have taken land from the central government on lease.
The Centre has increased ground rent from Rs 5 to Rs 120 an acre per annum. It has also increased assignment charge (a levy on production) from Rs 4 to Rs 100 per tonne per year, official sources said today.
An order to this effect reached the state government in November. The order said the hike will be applicable with retrospective effect from January 2012.
"The decision will be implemented across the state," said Salt Superintendent, Humma (Ganjam), H K Agrawala.
The manufacturers have urged the Centre to reconsider its decision.
"We will sit and moot a resolution, appealing to the government for a rollback. The salt manufacturers are already ruined due to the natural disasters," said President of Salt Manufacturers' Association, Goutam Pollai.
Ganjam is a major salt-producing district with farming in over 5,000 acre. There are 43 manufactures, including private entrepreneurs and two salt cooperative societies. They produce around 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of salt every year from sea water.
While infrastructure facilities like sheds, pump sets, iodization godown and electric transformers have been damaged in the calamities, there is heavy siltation in fields due to rain and floods, a manufacturer said.
At least Rs 10,000 is required to de-silt an acre to start production, he added.
