BCPL magement clarifies stand on AASU’s demands

From our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, June 7: The magement of the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) has clarified their stand on the demands made by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in a press communique issued on Tuesday.

The AASU staged dawn-to-dusk demonstration in front of the BCPL’s main entrance on Monday, demanding 100 per cent appointment of locals, appointment of an Assamese Maging Director at BCPL, take steps against blatant pollution in nearby areas and Sessa River in particular, and to construct a Martyrs’ Park in the me of those who were martyred during the six-year long Assam agitation. The AASU demonstration had paralyzed normal function of the mega project for the day.  

The  BCPL magement, while clarifying their stand on AASU’s demands, stated that being a CPSE, BCPL recruits its manpower in various levels of executives as well as non-executive cadres as per the recruitment rules of the company and as per guidelines received from Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) from time to time. The recruitment rules are based on various Presidential directives, Guidelines of Government of India issued from time to time and various judicial pronouncements of the Apex Court of India. In order to deviate from any such provisions, the competent authority for this purpose is only the Government of India. Elaborating the manpower employment as on today, the press communiqué stated, “The majority of employees in BCPL including executives and non-executives are from Northeast.” As far as engagement of locals is concerned, the BCPL authority has clarified that the contractors engage 100 per cent local people including project-affected persons (PAP) in unskilled category in different contract jobs. Also, the contractors give preference to the local persons in semi-skilled and skilled technical work. To ensure engagement of local people in unskilled/ skilled category, a clause has been incorporated in the special conditions of contract in BCPL.

Regarding the appointment of Maging Director of BCPL, the magement clarified its position saying that Government of India has constituted Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) which is responsible for the selection and placement of personnel in the post of the Chairman, Maging Director, Chairman-cum-Maging Director (Level-I), and Functiol Director (Level-II) in PSEs as well as in posts at any other level as may be specified by the government.  

As far as the pollution caused by the petrochemical plant in the nearby areas particularly the Sessa River, the magement clarified that BCPL had installed a state-of-the-art Effluent Treatment Plant and treated effluent from BCPL discharged to the Brahmaputra through an   underground 14-inche pipeline only after meeting all required specifications. The discharge parameters are within the specifications as approved by Pollution Control Board and it is expected not to cause any damage to the fertility of the agricultural land. Whereas flaring of hydrocarbons is carried out in all process plants as an operatiol safety measure. The flaring during process disturbance in the plant is inevitable and sometimes there in increase in the flaring. With the gradual stabilization of BCPL, the magement claimed, the flaring has now been controlled to a greater extent.

The magement of BCPL has reiterated that being a socially responsive company of the Government of India, the BCPL is fully committed to the preservation of the flora and fau of the surroundings and also for maintaining a safe and healthy environment. BCPL is taking all measures to maintain the ecological balance of its vicinity and has also been undertaking various CSR initiatives in an around its installation in consultation with the district authorities keeping in view the overall socio-economic development of the region.

 The magement appealed to all to extend support for smooth operation of the plant for overall development of the region.