GUWAHATI: The Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU), Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, Assam, have appealed to the Assam Governor to raise the issue of revival of the two non-functional HPCL mills before the Centre.
“The Governor’s address on Republic Day had mentioned the commitment to revive the paper mills, which is not new as right from the Prime Minister to chief minister and the industry minister, these assurances have been made but to no avail,” Manobendra Chakraborty, president, JACRU, Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, Assam, said in a statement on Monday.
“Being the representative of the Centre in a federal system, the Governor must act on the ground and mere assurance to revive the mills is not enough. We the people of Assam are fed up with all such promises that have not materialized even as 60 people, with three taking their lives, in the absence of medical care and non-payment of salary since the last 36 months,” Chakraborty said.
He further said that such public assurances would only rub salt to the wounds of the employees of the paper mills as their basic constitutional rights have been denied.
“Employees are in the process of being rendered homeless as they are being forced to vacate their quarters before this month,” he said.
The union however pledged to keep the struggle for the rights of the paper mill employees going.
