All the unions and associations of Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) have arrived at an agreement with the Assam government for bailing out the workers of two closed paper mills in the State.
The Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram in southern Assam’s Hailakandi district and the Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiraod in central Assam’s Morigaon district have been closed since October 2015 and March 2017.
“Finally reached an agreement with the workers and employees of the HPC to resolve long-pending issues of their salaries and dues,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said after the four-hour meeting with the unions that ended at 2 a.m. on September 29.
According to the agreement, a relief package of about ₹570-crore will be disbursed to the employees within two months of the National Company Law Tribunal’s approval of a proposal submitted by the Assam government. The agreement also said the assets of the two HPC mills will remain with the State government.
According to Manobendra Chakraborty, president of the Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU), the relief package offered would not be prejudiced against the claims of workers in legal cases pending at various courts.
“The agreement also states that 100 workers and employees of the HPC mills would be given permanent employment in State government entities through a special recruitment drive. Doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff of the mills would also be given employment,” he said.
Since the closure of the mills, 95 workers have died due to starvation or inability to afford treatment for various illnesses. Three of them had taken their own lives.
“Central and State governments have repeatedly made commitments to revive the mills or provide relief to the workers barely surviving without pay. We thank the Chief Minister for resolving our long-pending issues,” JACRU general secretary Ananda Bordoloi said.
