HAILAKANDI, April 5 - A delegation of the Cachar Paper Project Workers� & Employees� Union (Independent) met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary in Guwahati on Tuesday and demanded revival of the Cachar Paper Mill.
The delegation, which was accompanied by North Karimganj MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, comprised union president Dilip Suklabaidya, secretary Azizur Rahman Mazumder, Joyjit Roy and Prafullo Chandra Daimary.
The delegation submitted memoranda to both the Chief Minister and the Industry Minister, demanding revival of the mill instead of calling for tender for privatisation.
�We were told that the State government will invite interested firms to sign an expression of interest (EoI) within 15 days for running the mill,� the leaders said. The delegation opposed the bid to call for an EoI and demanded immediate payment of salaries to the employees. He said they also opposed the proposal of VRS.
It may be mentioned here that the salaries of the employees have been stopped since October 2016. The production of the Mill was suspended in December 2015, Mazumder added.
He alleged that financial condition of the employees are extremely critical as they are unable to even bear the cost of treatment and also education of their children. The Mill was established in 1988 at Panchgram in Hailakandi district.
