DERGAON, Oct 19 - At a time when the story of abandoned cooperative sector industries are in the news headlines for their lands having been encroached or due to antisocial activities going on in their premises, the news of an abandoned industry land being brought to fruition for work has brought smiles on the faces of the local residents.
The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) situated at Numaligarh in Golaghat district has planned to set up its extension project at the abandoned land of the historic Swahid Kushal Konwar Cooperative Spinning Mill Limited (SKKCSML) at Dabidubi gaon under Khumtai revenue circle in Golaghat district.
A part of the land of SKKCSML measuring 400 bighas was handed over to the NRL authority by the Golaghat district administration for the expansion project of the former. The land possession deed was signed by the Khumtai Circle Officer Jnanjyoti Dutta on behalf of the Assam government and Lakhidhar Kalita on behalf of the NRL on October 13.
Though the NRL is yet to disclose what will be their project but the residents of Dabidubi gaon, Patia Pathar gaon, Karunating Tea Estate etc., are delighted as the area will get developed after NRL sets up any project.
The villagers are of the belief that from appointment in the project to indirect business they will be benefited from the project directly or indirectly.
A resident of Patia Pathar gaon, Abdul Karim said that whatever the project, the increased employability of the people of Assam might get ensured. �NRL may think of reviving the spinning mill again as the cotton of Assam is still in high demand�, he said.
Talking to this correspondent, the former store in-charge of SKKCSML Jatin Gogoi said that the process of setting up expansion activities by NRL obviously would give a new lease of life to the area.
�Direct or indirect impact of the project will bring a socio-economic change to the area�, he said.
Recalling the golden times when the mill worked with the efficient Project manager of SKKSML Sudip Banerjee from Kolkata in 1991-92, Gogoi said that during that time the mill was heading for a great future. But due to mismanagement of the remaining governments, the mill was ruined, he added.
�Now there is every possibility of the mill being revived in its place of origin with some new plan or machinery which will help the locality�, Gogoi said.
It is pertinent to mention that the SKKCSML was set up at Dabidubi in 1979 on a cooperative basis on a land covering 656 bighas and started its production with 25 per cent machinery in 1990. After two-three years of running, the production of the mill stopped due to non-completion of setting up of the machinery etc.
Finally, the State government declared the mill closed and gave voluntary retirement to its employees on November 29 in 2011. Though a private party took the mill on lease but they left the mill abandoned in 1995-96 and later the properties were taken into possession of the State government by a liquidator. Later, following a judgement of Gauhati High Court against a case registered in 2010, the State government cleared the liabilities of the employees in October 2019 though other liabilities are still pending.
