SILCHAR, July 25 - Amid speculations of closure of the Cachar and Nagaon Paper Mills � units of Hindustan Paper Corporation � Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today expressed the hope that the Centre would take positive steps to reopen the two mills.
Addressing a gathering of women at the Kanaklata Women�s Empowerment Meeting at the Police Parade Ground here, the Chief Minister said: �I have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoken to Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Babul Supriyo about the fate of the two mills.�
In reply to questions put forth by Silchar MP Sushmita Dev on whether the Government was considering a revival package for the Cachar and Nagaon paper mills, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises on July 24 had said that a proposal for revival of Hindustan Paper Corporation was under consideration and made it clear that the Government had no plans to privatise the enterprises.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister urged the women to become foot soldiers in the fight to defeat superstitions and witch-hunting. �I urge the women of the Barak Valley to undertake awareness drives to eliminate these social evils,� Sonowal added.
The Chief Minister handed over symbolic cheques to women SHGs in the presence of Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development Naba Kumar Doley, Forest and Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, BJP State president Ranjeet Dass, the BJP MLAs of Cachar district and other top functionaries of the party. It may be mentioned here that 2,392 SHGs from Cachar will receive a grant of Rs 3,16,75,000 and the district is aiming to form 16,000 SHGs in the coming days.
Sonowal reiterated that the Government would do everything possible to protest the rights of genuine Indian citizens and allayed fears among the people ahead of the publication of the final draft of the NRC.
The Chief Minister criticised the Congress party for allegedly discriminating against the Barak Valley in the past 15 years of its rule.
