Centre turning blind eye to Cachar Paper Mill: Gogoi

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, March 28: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today mounted attack at Prime Minister rendra Modi for "turning a blind eye" to the cause of Cachar Paper Mill, the production of which remained suspended due to shortage of coal.

 "Prime Minister rendra Modi's escapist attitude has become apparently evident when he put the blame on the Congress for the closure of Cachar Mill, a unit of Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited which is a Central Public Sector Undertaking as the Central government is fully responsible for its premature and sudden closure," Gogoi said, adding that the NDA government at the Centre has not done anything substantial for the revival Cachar Paper Mill, thereby putting the future of one lakh people directly and indirectly involved in the mill at stake.

It may be stated that Cachar Paper mill, which has a capacity of producing 1,00,000 tonnes of paper annually, uses about 550-600 tonnes of coal from Meghalaya every day. The problem started after tiol Green Tribul ordered a ban on unscientific mining of coal in Meghalaya on May.

Reacting to PM Modi's comment that the Congress Government in Assam owes an explation to the people for the closure of Cachar Paper Mill, Gogoi asked "why the NDA Government which is at the helm of affairs does not take step for the revival of the paper mill which essentially falls in their jurisdiction".

Gogoi said, "The Centre should have taken the matter in right earnest with the tiol Green Tribul or facilitate supply of coal to the mill from other sources instead of depending solely on Meghalaya. Without taking any substantive step, the BJP has indulged in mud-slinging business and playing with the sentiments of the people of Assam".