Around 900 HPC mill employees asked to vacate quarters by January 31, 2020

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Soon after assuming his charge as the State Industries Minister in 2016, Chandra Mohan Patowary did promise to revive Nagaon and Cachar HPC mills. However, in the dramatic turn of events in the past three-and-a-half years, the Minister has even failed to keep the roofs over the heads of around 900 HPC employees’ families intact, let alone reviving the two mills.

On behalf of liquidator Kuldeep Verma, the authorities issued a notice to the around 900 HPC mill employees to vacate their quarters by January 31, 2020. The president of the Joint Action Committee of Recognized Union of Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills (JACRUNCPM), Manob-endra Chakravarty, however, said, “So long our 36-month arrears salaries and other benefits are paid, we’re not going to leave our quarters. If the government uses forces to vacate the quarters, they’ll have to do it over our bodies.”

Briefing the dramatic turn of events in the name of revival of the two HPC mills in Assam, Chakravarty said, “The State government first assured us of reviving the two HPC mills. It then assured us of paying our arrears salaries and other benefits. Instead of fulfilling any of the assurances, it’s now out to make us roofless.”

While around 500 HPC employees’ families have been staying at Jagiroad township, around 350 such families are at Panchgram in Cachar district.

The affairs of the HPC came to such a pass with the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) ordering on November 25, 2019 to auction all assets of HPC, including its two mills in Assam, so as to repay all liabilities. “Kuldeep Verma filed the case in the NCLT for non-payment of his Rs 98 lakh dues. Not being able to pay just Rs 98 lakh to Verma, Rs 5,000-crore HPC assets are set to go under the hammer. How strange!” Chakravarty said.

Drawing a parallel instance in Kerala, Chakravarty said, “The NCLT had ordered the auction of Hindustan Newsprint, a subsidiary setup of HPC. However, the Kerala State government came to the rescue of the company by paying Rs 25 crore for its revival. The State government has taken up the company to run it itself. If the Kerala government can pay Rs 25 crore for an HPC subsidiary, why can’t Dispur pay just Rs 98 lakh? Dispur could’ve prevented the two HPC mills from going under the hammer.”

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