Guwahati, Feb 17: The Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) of Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills has reiterated that the defunct mills in Assam need to be safeguarded as national assets, while categorically stating that it would “resist occupation of land and equipment of the two paper mills by any private entity”.
The Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram in Hailakandi district and Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad in Morigaon district have been non-functional since October 2015 and March 2017 respectively.
The mills are under the central government-controlled Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) and had to be shut because of shortage of working capital.
Expressing concern over the government’s bid to sell all assets of two mills at throwaway prices, JACRU president Manobendra Chakraborty said on Thursday that the base auction price of the assets has been brought down from Rs 1139 crore in May last year to Rs 429 crore as per the auction notice issued by the liquidator on February 15, 2022.
“The ‘double-engine’ BJP government at the Centre and state talks about nationalism and self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat) but at the same time plans to sell off national assets to private companies at throwaway prices, which can never be accepted by the people of Assam,” Chakraborty said.
JACRU, he asserted, is committed to protect national wealth at any cost and will not allow any private entity/company to occupy land and movable and immovable assets of HPCL.
He further ruled that the governments at the Centre and state have over the years not paid heed to requests by JACRU from time to time to revive the mills.
The JACRU president pointed out that the country, on the contrary, was becoming more reliant on other countries.
“India is procuring pulp and paper from other countries by spending more than Rs 80000 crore per annum to meet domestic consumption. This is a fact disclosed in Parliament by Union minister of road and transport Nitin Gadkari,” Chakraborty said.
He regretted that despite the Northeast having ample raw materials, it has remained behind other regions of the country in regard to industrialisation.
“We demand that the national assets should remain in the custody of the nation, either with the central or state government. The Centre should extend financial support to the state government to revive the industries and honour its commitment. Revival of the two mills will mean restoration of the jobs of 4 lakh youths, directly or indirectly,” Chakraborty said.
He further pointed out that the salaries of the mill workers/employees have been withheld for over 61 months, and that, during the interim, 99 employees have lost their lives owing to financial distress and various compelling circumstances while four of them have died by suicide.