Silchar district Congress lambasts BJP President Kaushik Rai

Special Correspondent

Silchar: “It is most unbecoming of Cachar BJP president Kaushik Rai to malign Sontosh Mohan Dev for the closure of Cachar paper mill without knowing the reality of situation. It is like spreading canard against the most respectful leader of Congress who has given a concrete shape to the dream of people of Barak Valley for a central industrial unit by exploiting the natural resources of the region”, pointed out Partha Ranjan Chakraborty, spokesperson of the Cachar district committee. Giving a background behind the coming up of the Mill in 1985 and the production of high quality paper, the plant eked out a place of distinction for its achievement.

During the Atal Behari regime, Arun Shourie as the minister of heavy industries and public enterprises toyed with the idea of disinvestment of the Mill which led to its decline. Sontosh Mohan Dev, reminded Chakraborty, as the minister of heavy industries and public enterprises, was more concerned about the fate of the only central industrial plant of Barak Valley. He initiated measures for the modernization of both the Mills of Cachar and Nagaon with financial package. By 2008-09, the Mill became profit making by reaching the optimum level of production.

Deepan Deewanji, spokesperson, state Congress committee, said, “For the knowledge and information of Kaushik Rai, it is to be put on record that the Mill became sick on October 20, 2015 under NDA government. Since then, it has been on loss”. For the last 2 years, employees are without their salary and it has disastrous consequences with 49 of them died or committed suicide. It is most inhuman that the cries of HPC Revival Action Committee have gone in vain. The spectre of starvation and death continues to hang before the helpless families of the employees. Before blaming Congress and Sontosh Mohan Dev, Kaushik Rai should better meet the employees in distress and hold out the action plan for the revival of the Mill.

Still most unfortunate, as Deepan Deewanji said no compensation has till date been paid to any of the 49 families. He added to say during the Namami Barak of 2017, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal went on record to say that the Mill would reopen in 6 months and all the employees to get their due salaries. Before that, at his election rally of 2016 at Kalinagar in Cachar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also assured of reopening of Mill. Would Kaushik Rai tell the people of Barak Valley how much money has been spent or invested for opening industrial units in the region against the backdrop of the statement of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal that Rs.12,000 crore have been utilized for industries in the state of Assam? Further hitting out at Kaushik Rai, Deepan Deewanji accused him of being connected with the syndicate of stone, bamboo, coal and Burmese supari, collecting taxes illegally. Before flinging mud at others, Kaushik Rai should clarify in public how he could amass huge wealth within a period of 5 or 6 years. Congress demands CID inquiry in his murky business deals and properties. Silchar district Congress committee has also questioned the sources of his flush money and cautioned Rai not to again drag in the name of their dear leader Sontosh Mohan Dev. Deepan Deewanji has requested Dilip Kumar Paul MLA to divulge the names of persons involved in the syndicate raj so that people should know the truth.

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