GUWAHATI: Members of the HPC (Hindustan Paper Corporation) Paper Mills Revival Action Committee will on Monday launch its next course of agitation against non-payment of salary for the past 24 months and alleged failure of the government to revive the Cachar and Nagaon paper mills.
According to the committee, which is a conglomeration of organisations and political parties, as many as 49 employees/workers of the mills have so far died prematurely in harness and the “psychological torture” in the wake of an uncertain future coupled with financial hardships, has affected the workers and their families since the past two years.
“There are many more who are in a critical condition owing to starvation and lack of medical care. We condemn the apathetic attitude of the central government which has withheld an amount of Rs 90crore which was passed by Parliament for the mills on the recommendations of the President. Therefore, a candle march will be staged by our members in the evening of December 24 at both Panchgram and Jagiroad to remember the employees who have died,” Manobendra Chakraborty, chief convener of the committee, told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
Production in Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram has been suspended since October 20, 2015 while operations at Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad came to a halt on March 13, 2017. Over 3000 people are directly employed with HPCL while over 2lakh workers are indirectly engaged in the two mills.
The committee’s protest comes a day ahead of the inauguration of the Bogibeel Bridge in Dibrugarh district by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Members of the Kagaj Nigam Karmi Union in Jagiroad will also stage a demonstration to protest Modi’s visit to Assam on December 25.
“We have made several representations in the past regarding our demands but in vain. So we want to raise the issue yet again through a candle rally and hope that the Prime Minister takes note of it. The compensation to all those families whose earning guardians had died while serving the corporation has also not been paid so far. We therefore demand immediate release of Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the affected families,” Chakraborty said.