Food for Thought

It is one thing to officially tom-tom the resources of Assam and another thing to husband and exploit these fruitfully in sustainable manner. Every schoolchild in the State gets to read in geography texts how bamboo and other plant resources so abundant here can feed a thriving paper industry. The reality cannot be more dismal, with political bosses and babus looting the very resources they are supposed to be developing for the State’s benefit. The people had set much store by government promises like the one about reviving Ashok Paper Mill (APM) at Jogighopa under Assam Accord way back in 1985. After two private parties tried their hand and flopped, the government turned to public sector player Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPCL), but nothing came of it. Failing to produce paper at this advantageously sited project, Dispur has been exploring options like ‘viable alternative industries’ there using locally available material like coconut fiber and jute. In July this year, Parliament was informed about Assam government’s plan to set up a ‘multi-model logistic park and hub’ over 200 acres within the APM site. How this materializes is anybody’s guess. As for the two non-operational HPCL paper mills at Jagiroad and Cachar, the writing is on the wall with National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) last month giving the go-ahead for their liquidation. The Government of India, as owner of HPCL, is not willing at all to revive these two mills while the Assam government is wringing hands helplessly at the sidelines, so the assurances given by the PM, CM and other ministers have come to naught. The 2 lakh employees of these two mills have lost hope of exiting with a decent VRS package, along with unpaid salaries for last three years, provident fund and gratuity. Despite making their mills profitable once, they are now paying for the corruption and duplicity of HPCL management and successive State governments that willingly played along. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has been battling to stop the HPCL subsidiary owned paper mill at Velloor in Kottayam district from being auctioned off by the Centre. It is supplying raw material at cheap rates and is ready to invest Rs 25 crore to revive the stricken unit. Two States, both blessed with abundant resources for paper industry, yet differing so starkly in political vision and will!

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