GUWAHATI, Sept 27 - The Centre has prepared a Rs 1,900 crore revival package for the Nagaon Paper Mill and the Cachar Paper Mill but a pending litigation in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has put the process on hold.
This was stated by Minister for Commerce and Industry Chandra Mohan Patowary during the Zero Hour in the Legislative Assembly today.
He said the revival package has been prepared by the Union Ministry for Heavy Industries. However, a case filed by a Assam-based contractor with the NCLT regarding pending dues has put the process for disbursal of funds on hold.
Patowary said the Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has filed a counter case with NCLT in this regard.
He said the Assam government is against closure or disinvestment of the mills, as has happened in case with another HPCL mill in Kerala.
Patowary said the two mills located in Assam used to be in robust health once but mismanagement as well as issues related to supply of raw materials turned them sick.
�We are now in consultation with the Centre for reviving the mills. The Chief Minister has spoken twice with the Prime Minister in this regard. Just day before yesterday, I received a letter from the Union Heavy Industries ministry regarding the revival package,� he said.
The Minister added that the State government has asked the Centre to release the outstanding liabilities and, if necessary, to hand over the mills to third party management for their revival.
�However, whether it is third party management model or the PPP model, the main issue is to revive the mills,� Patowary said.
He said the State government also wants a high-level enquiry into the entire issue of the once profit-making mills going sick. Earlier, raising the issue, Congress legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said that thousands have been left destitute after the two paper mills stopped working and called upon the government to take steps to revive them.
�What is the use of spending crores of rupees for organizing the Advantage Assam summit if the existing industries are getting closed? Youths of Assam are forced to migrate to other states in search of employment opportunities,� he said.
BJP MLA Mihir Kanti Shome accused the previous Congress regime of being responsible for closure of the mills.
