SILCHAR, June 12 - In what could be called an outburst of disgust and apathy over the lack of response from the government over the constant whimpers to release the salaries of employees of Cachar and Nagaon Paper Mills, units of Government-owned Hindustan Paper Mills, closed since 2015, people under the banner of Kagaj Kal Bachao Joutha Mancha, a people�s forum stormed the Deputy Commissioner�s office campus here on Wednesday in a rally and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India highlighting their charter of demands.
The rally started from Narsingtola point and reached the office of the Deputy Commissioner amidst slogans and cries echoing demands to reopen the mills and remit the pending salaries. People from over 100 organisations and cultural associations took part in the rally.
Suprio Bhattacharjee, adviser to the Mancha said that they have submitted a memorandum highlighting their plight and legetimate demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging his immidiate intervention to release the pending salaries of the employees.
�In the absence of Deputy Commissioner, we have handed over the memorandum to Nabarun Bhattacharjee, the District Development Commissioner Cachar who has assured us that the memorandum would be sent to the Prime Minister within two days. We have categorically mentioned that Prime Minister should take steps within two weeks to release the amount of Rs 90 crores approved fund of the Union Budget of 2018-19, which should be disbursed to the mill workers and employees as required by NCLAT order Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No. 585/586 of 201. Also, we demand that the Government of India must immediately revive the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited through infusing adequate reinvestment and immediate restarting the paper mills under HPC at Panchgram and Jagiroad and take other required actions to bring the public sector unit of Mini-Ratna category back to life again as an �going concern� as required by NCLAT order Company Appeal (AT) (Insolvency) No 585/586 of 2019,� Bhattacharjee maintained.
Further, lamenting over the fact that the Prime Minister needs to be informed about the death of as many as 55 persons working in the mill, Bhattacharjee said that copies of the memorandum would be sent to the elected representatives drawing their attention on the issue. They would also decide their future course of action keeping a close eye on the intent of the Government towards responding to the set of demands, he added.
