GUWAHATI: The latest order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), directing occupants of the residential quarters of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPCL) owned mills to vacate the quarters by January 31, 2020, has put the employees of the Nagaon and Cachar mills in a fix.
The NCLT order was issued under Section 34 (3) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 following a hearing on November 25, 2019.
“The order has come as a surprise as we received the NCLT order sheet almost a month after the NCLT hearing on November 25, 2019. As it is, none of the employees are in a position to abide by the order until their dues, which among others include 36 months’ salary, are settled,” Ananda Bordoloi, general secretary, Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU), Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, Assam, told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
It may be mentioned that 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.
In the order sheet, the HPCL liquidator, Kuldeep Verma, also notified that permission to enter the mill premises would require his approval or that of the authorities.
Despite repeated reminders and pleas by workers unions and mill revival committee, the two HPCL-owned mills in Assam, have remained defunct with salaries not paid to the employees for the past three years.
“As many as 60 employees have lost their lives owing to lack of medical treatment, while several thousands have lost their jobs, since the mills became non-operational. Given the present state, this order would inflict more sufferings on the occupants. We are exploring all options to see how we can sort this issue now,” Bordoloi said.