Guwahati, April 1: The death toll of workers of two “non-functional” Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL)-owned paper mills in Assam rose to 102, with yet another ailing employee of Nagaon Paper Mill passing away on Friday morning.
Md Sarifuddin Ahmed (57), who resided in one of the HPCL quarters on the campus of Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad in Morigaon district, was brought to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here in an unconscious state but died at 7.30 am after failing to regain consciousness.
“He was suffering from chronic diabetes and asthma. He was rushed to GMCH after he was found lying in an unconscious state by the road near the paper mill at Jagiroad. It is unfortunate that we have lost another precious life,” Manobendra Chakraborty, president of the Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) of the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills, said.
The Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram in Hailakandi district and Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad in Morigaon have been non-functional since October 2015 and March 2017 respectively.
“The workers of the mills have been in stress and trauma ever since the mills have been shut. After years of neglect and apathy, they have lost all hope to live life with dignity as they are unable to meet the expenses of medical treatment with their salaries unpaid for the past 63 months,” Chakraborty said.
The unfortunate incident comes at a time when the Assam government had finally taken over the assets of Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) paper mills at Jagiroad and Panchgram with Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) declared as the successful bidder last Monday.
It may be noted that although the Assam government had no stake in the paper mills, it has been relentlessly pursuing to resolve the matter on humanitarian grounds.
IANS