APCC Demands Assam Govt To Provide Relief Package For Paper Mills Worker

The Congress on Monday demanded that the Assam government should announce a relief package for employees of the two defunct paper mills of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL).

According to a local Media report, Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi while addressing addressing a press meet said that the liquidator through a notice on September 3 has directed 900 employees to vacate their quarters within 15 days which is utterly inhuman, ridiculous, preposterous and devoid of any compassionate reasoning.

The MP of APCC said that the state government should show solidarity with the employees and come out with a relief package, including the revival of the closed mills and payment of all dues to the employees.

APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah had constituted an Employees' Redressal Committee on September 4 to look into the matters of the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills of the Hindusthan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), stated the report from East Mojo.

Pradyut Bordoloi and his committee visited the Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad and took note of the longstanding problems of the employees and the failure of the government to honour their repeated commitments to revive the industries.

Bordoloi informed that as many as 93 employees of the defunct mills had died in the last 58 months.

"There are allegations in certain quarters that the reason behind liquidating the paper mills could be because the state government wants to give access to bamboo, the raw material for producing paper, to private companies to make ethanol which has high demand and value", the MP added.

He also urged the state government to clear its stand regarding the oil wells that exist within the premises of the Cachar Paper Mills in Panchgram.

Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi said, "The government should not hand over any assets to private parties on a platter and we demand transparency on such deals."

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) of both Nagaon and Cachar Mills has written to the liquidator to immediately withdraw the notice as it was in contravention of the order issued by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), the report also added.

JACRU president Manadendra Chakraborty said, "The liquidator has misinterpreted the law which may lead to industrial unrest and social turmoil as the workers are struggling for survival."

The BJP government had promised to revive the paper mills after Sarbananda Sonowal assumed charge as Chief Minister in 2016 and while campaigning for the assembly polls held this year.

Also Read: Delhi HC Directs Centre To Clear Intent On Revival Of Assam Paper Mills