The Assam government has moved to abolish the state’s Inland Water Transport Directorate and transfer its services and assets to the government-formed Assam Inland Waterways Company Limited (AIWCL). Five government notifications issued on January 16 ordered the handover of the directorate — established in 1959 — to AIWCL, sparking sharp criticism and concern over an apparent privatization of a long-standing public service.
Officials and workers say the transfer follows a 2022 decision to create AIWCL and the Assam Inland Water Transport Regulatory Authority (AIWTRA) with the stated aim of restructuring the sector. As part of the process, more than 170 vessels and all departmental properties are being moved under the company’s control. Critics allege the government is using new bridge construction across the Brahmaputra as justification to shrink river transport services and push the sector towards private management.
A high-profile element of the shift has already taken place: the World Bank‑funded Gateway of Guwahati terminal, built with a Rs 200 crore loan, was handed over in exchange for just a 24.11% equity share to a private firm named Assam Communication and Cable Private Limited. Workers and unions view this as the first step in a broader privatization effort. AIWCL, which is to be run under IAS officer Aditya Vikram Yadav, is expected by critics to progressively cede the entire government-run inland water transport system to private hands.
The decisions have provoked sustained employee resistance and legal challenges in the past, which delayed earlier attempts to complete the transfer. Nevertheless, the government has relied on a recent cabinet decision to press the notifications into effect. The move directly affects nearly 3,000 directorate employees, leaving many facing deep uncertainty about their jobs and futures.
The company has reportedly promised to absorb only employees who have more than three years remaining before retirement, while those close to retirement have not been offered clear protections. The government also says it will subsidize salaries for five years; but unions warn that if AIWCL is not profitable after that period, staff security will be at risk.
The All Assam Inland Water Transport Workers’ Union has petitioned the Guwahati High Court against the notifications. Union general secretary Ambikacharan Baishya has demanded their cancellation and called the government’s action anti‑worker, underscoring the dispute’s legal and social stakes for riverine livelihoods and Assam’s inland transport network.
Original Source: https://assam.nenow.in/abolition-of-the-directorate-of-inland-water-transport-3000-employees-face-uncertain-future-amid-privatization-fears/
Category: অসম,শীর্ষ সংবাদ
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Publish Date: 2026-02-11 08:49:00
