Assurances and commitments blow away in the air

Cachar Paper Mill

Special Correspondent

Silchar: Cachar Paper Project Workers’ Union, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) in an identical letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise, and the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, New Delhi, has demanded revival of the Cachar paper mill in order to save it from liquidation and as a part of the Act East Policy.

Manobendra Chakraborty, president of the union reminded the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the people of Assam on March 27, 2016 to revive the paper industries of Assam for large scale employment generation and economic growth in the economically backward region.

Besides, on more than one occasion, the Ministry of Heavy Industries in a written reply in Parliament revealed the revival plan of Hindustan Paper Corporation under consideration. In response to the repeated representations, the PMO clarified that the revival of HPC paper industries are under consideration. Despite repeated assurances, as the union leader pointed out, there have been inordinate delays in decision making process. In the meantime, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by its order dated June 13, 2018 started the insolvency process, he pointed out. He regretted in spite of an efficient administrative mechanism in the government of India, no revival plan has been declared till date.

The workers’ union is of the view that the authorities of the government of India are having options as follows if they sincerely desire to honour commitment of the Prime Minister and the plan of revival as placed on the floor of the Parliament. The options are approval of revival proposal of both the paper mills of Assam. The indecisiveness is causing irreparable damage to the image of the present government. The other option is submission of revival plan before NCALT by October 4, 2018, the last one for the government or submission of revival plan to resolution processor by October 8, 2018.

It is the confidence of the employees and workers of Cachar paper mill, now in a dire strait, that the authorities concerned of the government would put in all their sincerest of efforts for giving concrete shape to the revival plan. The ground reality as projected in the present representation by the union is that the employment of two lakh people is at a stake and with that the prospect of further job generation, telling heavily on the industrial climate of the state which through its much hyped ‘Advantage Assam’ show has made declaration for rapid and systematic industrialization. A copy of the representation has also been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Assam and Anant G Getee ji, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, government of India.