JORHAT, Aug 21 - The Jorhat-based North Eastern Small Scale Industries Association (NESSIA) has sought publishing of a White Paper by the Central Government on the circumstances leading to the closure of the two paper mills in the State.
NESSIA is a body of traders dealing with small-scale units in the North East. It has over 500 members from all over the region.
The two mills, i.e., Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram in Hailakandi district and Nagaon Paper Mill at Jagiroad in Morigaon district, owned by Hindustan Paper Mills Limited (PSU), have remained closed with the former shutting down in October 2015 and the latter in February last year.
The employees of the mills have reportedly not received their salaries since a long time back and are facing lots of hardship to make ends meet. Several employees have reportedly died after the closure due to lack of money to avail medical treatment.
In a press note issued by NESSIA�s general secretary Niren Sharma, the traders� body has demanded that the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries publish a White Paper at the earliest stating clearly the reasons and circumstances that led to closure of the two paper mills in Assam owned by the PSU.
The NEESIA has also sought to know whether any plan has been proposed by the Centre to revive the two mills.
Stating that employees of the two mills were suffering untold miseries following the closure, the note said if the Centre did not respond positively with regard to its demand of publishing a White Paper and revival of the mills, then the organisation will undertake a programme to protest against the Government.
The protest will be carried out in several ways under the name �Udyog Pratarana�.
The NESSIA also took to task the State Government and MPs of the State, especially the Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain and Silchar MP Sushmita Dev for failing to take up the matter with the Centre and in Parliament adequately.
