AASU protests failure to revive Bokajan Cement Corporation of India plant

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAJAN: The Karbi Anglong district unit of AASU on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) plant at Bokajan, expressing concern over the repeated failure of the Corporation to revive the long neglected and over exploited cement plant which is now on the brink of closure. The students' body also demanded 100 percent local recruitment and to instill other development projects under CSR in the locality.

The CCI plant at Bokajan was commissioned in the year 1977 with a production capacity of 600 MT/day. Former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed laid its foundation in 1971.

Meanwhile, in 1998, the industry was declared sick and subjected under Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). The provisions of the BIFR Act 1985 covers only for 7 years. However, following good revenues from the plant, the Centre decided to keep the plant running.

As many as eight sick units of the CCI were shut down in 2005, but the Bokajan unit had been consistently posting profit.The other two profit-making units of the CCI are at Rajbon in Himachal Pradesh and Tandur in Andhra Pradesh. In the past 40 years, the Bokajan plant has accumulated over Rs 90 crore in profit alone.

Noteworthy that, the Centre allotted Rs 140 crore for mega expansion of Bokajan Plant with an aim to double its production in the year 2007. But, execution began four years later. A Bangalore base construction company - M/S Promec was engaged to execute the expansion project in the year 2011. The plan included setting up of two grinding units one each at Lakhimpur and Silchar, besides a pollution control device and a modified crane here in Bokajan. It was supposed to be completed by August, 2013. However, much to our surprise, less than 20 per cent of the revival project has been executed till date and the construction company retired over stalemate at insisting on 60 per cent payment for completion of civil and technical works.

In a statement here, Bedanta Saikia, Organisation Secretary, AASU; strongly condemned the alleged conspiracy of the Delhi lobby to derail the expansion project towards reviving the ailing plant. The student body also forwarded a memorandum to the Prime Minister through SDO(C), Bokajan pressing for the early execution of the expansion project in the general interest of public.

Also watch: Morning Bulletin | 12th June 2020