2 More Assam Paper Mill Employees Die, Death Toll At 95

Two more employees of the defunct Nagaon and Cachar mills of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) died in Morigaon on Thursday taking the death tally since their closure to 95.

The president of Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) of the two mills Manabendra Chakraborty said that Rajendra Kumar Nath, 60, of Nagaon Paper Mill who was suffering from diabetes died of a heart attack on Wednesday, while Shyama Kata Kurmi, 59, of Cachar Paper Mills died of kidney and liver disease on Thursday.

A total of ten deaths have been recorded since the second BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assumed office in May, he added.

During the tenure of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, 85 employees had died either due to starvation or lack of medical treatment.

"Most of our employees have died due to lack of proper treatment as they did not receive salaries or dues for the last 55 months. These are not normal deaths but our people are dying due to the apathy of the authorities," he alleged in a PTI report.

Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram in Hailakandi district is non-functional since October 2015, while the Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad in Morigaon district is shut since March 2017.