Paper mills' staff threaten stir from February

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Joint Action Committee of Recognized Unions (JACRU) of the Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills has threatened to launch a series of agitational programmes from February to protest against the non-release of the relief package of Rs 570 crore by the State Government.

Talking to The Sentinel, JACRU president Manabendra Chakraborty said that an agreement had been signed on September 28 last year between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the paper mills' recognized employees' unions and association. He said that as per the agreement, the State Government was supposed to disburse the relief package of Rs 570 crore within two months of the National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT's) approval of a proposal submitted by Dispur.

However, Chakraborty said, the package has not been disbursed even now. He expressed surprise regarding the reasons for this delay.

Chakraborty said that as a result of the State Government's failure to fulfil its commitment, the paper mills' employees are left with no other option but to resort to an agitational programme.

The JACRU president said that so far 99 employees of the two paper mills, both subsidiaries of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited, have died since the mills' closure, including four who committed suicide after the mills cease functioning. Most of the other deaths occurred due to poverty, trauma and lack of medical treatment, he said, adding that more employees would die in similar manners if the Government does not release their dues.

He expressed the hope that Dispur would take the matter with due seriousness and take appropriate steps to ensure that the relief package is disbursed without further delay.

It may be recalled that the Cachar Paper Mill had become non-functional in October, 2015, while the Nagaon Paper Mill had followed suit in March, 2017.

Employees of the Cachar Paper Mill have not received salaries for 60 months, while their counterparts of the Nagaon paper Mill have not received their dues for 58 months.

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