GUWAHATI: The Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU), Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, Assam has submitted a memorandum to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, seeking his intervention at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) before the tribunal’s hearing on September 14, 2020, to “save Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited and workers of the two mills in Assam.”
“The Assam government and the Centre should take steps, along with taking forward their proposal to revive the two mills prior to the NCLT’s hearing of the matter on September 14, 2020, else the company may be ordered for liquidation, which will be a complete obliteration of the interest of Assam and its citizens,” Manobendra Chakraborty, president, JACRU, Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, stated in the memorandum.
In a statement issued to the media, Chakraborty further said that the government of Assam should immediately take up the matter with the central government or it may alone move the tribunal just like the Kerala government.
“People of Assam deserve revival of the two paper mills for employment of their children. As many as 69 workers have died ever since the mills stopped functioning. The government should save the lives of the workers of mills by releasing their wages and dues,” he said.
Chakraborty further referred to the Kerala government which had already proposed to take over Hindustan Newsprint Ltd, a subsidiary unit of Hindustan Paper Corporation, to protect industries and employment in their state.
“The government of Assam also has the same right and opportunity to take over the two paper mills and save the jobs of two lakh people,” he said.
Reportedly, a private party from Assam had expressed interest to run the industries if the pending liabilities towards salary and statutory dues are settled by the government.