HPC mill employees demand justice

TheNational Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), has directed the occupants of theresidential quarters of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) ownedmills to vacate the quarters by January 1, 2020. The order has put theemployees of the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills in a difficult situation.

"We will not vacate our quarters until our dues, which among others include 36 months' salary, are settled," said an employee of the Nagaon paper mill. The employees of the mill also staged a massive protest on Thursday.

It may be mentioned here that the NCLT order was issued under Section 34 (3) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, after a hearing on November 25. The circular, issued by Kuldeep Verma on behalf of the liquidators, also debarred employees from entering the plant premises and that "permission to enter plant premises will require the approval of respective Plant Head, HR Head or the undersigned with immediate effect".

Theoperations at Nagaon paper mill in Jagiroad stopped on March 13, 2017, whilethe production of the Cachar paper mill has been suspended since October 2015.

Threeemployees of Nagaon paper mill had allegedly committed suicide owing tofinancial distress after the mill had become non-functional. The plight of theemployees and their families regarding education, medical facilities and otherbasic amenities hogged headlines several times.