SHILLONG, Dec 10: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s assurance to release some amount as financial assistance in December to the protesting employees of the MCCL has come as a silver lining with members of the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Employees’ Union calling off the indefinite hunger strike which began here on Tuesday.
However, releasing only a portion of the dues will not be enough to satisfy the aggrieved employees let alone the revival of the cement plant, which, according to the MCCL chairman, Wailadmiki Shylla, will cost a whopping Rs 180 crore.
Shylla also said that the employees called off the strike after a request was made and under the condition that some funds will be released as aid.
A total investment of Rs 180 crore will be needed to revive the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited (MCCL), which is an indomitable task for the government as it is marred with financial constraints worsened by the COVID-19 situation, the MCCL chairman informed on Thursday.
He said that a survey of the plant was conducted by the Commerce and Industries department and it was discerned that Rs 180 crore is needed to make the plant functional.
Shylla said there are three options before the government —invest Rs 180 crore, opt for a joint venture or close down the cement plant.
Informing that the dry process in the plant was introduced in 2006, he said an amount of Rs 324 crore was invested by the government to make the plant function smoothly from 2006 till 2020.
After the introduction of the dry process, a target of 15,000 MT of production was set per month. However, the plant could not even achieve 10,000 MT.
The MCCL chairman has suggested that the stakeholders need to rethink on the decision of a joint venture, while also pointing out that it will not be a privatisation move.
There are companies which have been successful after entering into a joint venture, he asserted.
