GUWAHATI: Miffed at the “sheer neglect” towards pleas for revival of two paper mills in Assam, the HPC (Hindustan Paper Corporation) Paper Mills Revival Action Committee is contemplating taking its agitation to the national capital.
The committee had on Monday resumed its agitation against the alleged failure of the government to revive the Cachar and Nagaon paper mills besides non-payment of salaries to its workers/employees for the past 24 months.
“None of our earlier representations have been paid heed to by the government. We have no alternative but to protest, which we have resumed last Monday. On January 4, we are planning to stage another rally near Silchar to condemn the hostile and colonial attitude of the Centre towards Assam. Subsequently, we might of taking the agitation to the streets of Delhi,” Manobendra Chakraborty, chief convener of the committee, told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
Venting ire at the central and state governments, Chakraborty said, “Both the PM and CM have failed to live up to their commitment to the people of Assam on March 27, 2016, assuring revival of the mills for employment generation and socio- economic growth of the region.”
“The revival package is pending with the Prime Minister’s Office for several months now. Worse still, a sum of Rs 90crore passed by Parliament on the recommendations of the President against interim salary has been withheld,” he said.
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 3,000 people are directly employed with HPCL while over 2lakh workers are indirectly engaged in the two mills.
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.
“We have been demanding the release of Rs 20lakh as compensation to the families whose earning guardians died while in service prior to the agitation,” Chakraborty said.
A candle march was staged by the committee members on December 24, a day ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Assam for inauguration of the Bogibeel Bridge, at Panchgram (near Cachar Paper Mill) and Jagiroad (near Nagaon Paper Mill) to remember the employees who have died.
The committee categorically stated that it was against any move by the government to hand over the management of the mills to private companies.