Assam: AJP to collect 10 lakh signature for revival of Paper Mills

The Assam Jatiya Parishad central committee (AJP) on Wednesday announced that they will collect 10 lakh signatures for the revival of Cachar and Nagaon Paper Mills. Addressing a press conference, AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that the signatures will be collected in both online and offline mode in view with the pandemic situation in the state.

AJP in association with the workers and employees' union of the Nagaon Paper Mill observed a sit-in strike at the main entrance of the Jagiroad, Nagaon Paper.

The regional political party said, "We will send a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India regarding the issue."

"The government is unsuccessful of reviving the paper mills in the state", AJP further added.

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The party also added that it will always fight to safeguard the properties of the state and for the welfare of the paper mill workers.

 On June 1, an e-auction notice was put up in a national newspaper for Cachar and Nagaon Paper mills of Assam which is lying defunct for more than five years. The mills were owned by the Government under Hindustan Paper Mill Corporation Limited. As per the auction, the reserve price of the mills was put at 1,139 crores. As per the e-auction notice, the auction process for the state-run Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) will be held on June 30 of 2021 from 10 am to 6 pm reportedly.

More than 1,200 employees of the paper mills are already over non-payment of their monetary dues ever since the mill's operation has been suspended and are also battling life crisis. The issuance of the e-auction notice now gives another level of uncertainty to the employees and the auction announcement is indeed scary for them.