GUWAHATI: Irked at the deaths of two more employees over two days, members of the Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) Mills Revival Action Committee has warned the state and central governments of more casualties in the coming days if immediate measures were not taken to revive the two non-functional mills in Assam.
Partha Deb, an employee of Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram who was critically ill, died on Sunday, while the body of Biswajit Mazumdar, suspected to have committed suicide, was found at his residential quarter at Nagaon Paper Mill (Morigaon) on Monday.
The death toll of employees since the mills were closed has now risen to 55, of which three from Nagaon Paper Mill reportedly took their own lives after failing to cope with the ordeal and trauma. Unable to afford medical costs, many critically ill employees have lost their lives while some starvation deaths were also reported.
Production in Cachar Paper Mill has been suspended since October 20, 2015 while operations at Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad came to a halt on March 13, 2017.
“It is a shame that despite our pleas and agitation over the past three years to revive the mills, there has been no response from the powers that be. This only highlights how insensitive and indifferent the government is in regard to the plight and sentiments of the employees who have not been paid their salaries for 28 months now,” Manobendra Chakraborty, chief convener of committee, told The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
Currently, the two mills have about 1200 direct employees in its payrolls while there would be several thousands more indirectly engaged in the operations.
“Many have sold off their lands, property and exhausted their savings to run their families or take care of their medical needs since closure of the mills,” Chakraborty said.
The employees have been deprived of not just salaries but other dues such as Provident Fund, et al which have not been released since 2015.
“So, even as our requests and protests have not moved the governments in Dispur and Delhi, we once again appeal to the authorities to save the mills and our lives. This ordeal has been very painful and if the neglect continues, there is bound to be more deaths in the coming days,” he said.