Guwahati, June 6: The death toll of workers of two “closed” Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL)-owned paper mills in Assam has gone up to 104.
Hizfur Rahman (54), an employee of Cachar Paper Mill and a resident of Badarpur Ghat in Karimganj district, passed away at a nursing home in Silchar on Sunday evening.
“Rahman was suffering from diabetes but, owing to financial crisis, could not afford the requisite medical treatment. He was admitted to a nursing home after he complained of high fever and other complications a couple of days back but passed away at 7.15 pm yesterday,” Manobendra Chakraborty, president of the Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) of the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills, informed on Monday.
“Every living worker of the two mills is passing days with unbearable suffering, stress and trauma. The workers 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 64 months,” Chakraborty said.
The unfortunate incident comes about a couple of months after the Assam government had finally taken over the assets of the paper mills at Jagiroad and Panchgram with Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) declared as the successful bidder.
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.
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.
A general relief package of Rs 700 crore, which includes settlement of various outstanding dues of employees and workers of HPCL’s assets at Nagaon and Cachar paper mills, was offered by the government.
An agreement was signed between the representatives of officers and supervisors’ associations and workers unions of the HPCL (in liquidation) and the Assam government.
The relief package of Rs 700 crore was accorded approval in the Cabinet meeting held on September 30, 2021.