HPC Paper Mills: Ripun Bora Demanded CBI Probe

A CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: Congress MP from Assam Ripun Bora on Wednesday raised the revival of Jagiroad and Panchgram Paper Mill in the Rajya Sabha and appealed the government to take immediate steps to revive these two PSUs. Ripun Bora also demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged siphoning of crores of rupees reportedly released by the Centre for these two mills.

Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Bora said that these two paper mills due to mismanagement of the Central Government are incurring loss since 2014.

“Jagiroad and Panchgram Paper Mill come under Hindustan Paper Corporation. There are nearly 8,000 direct employee and more than 20,000 have got indirect employment there. But due to closure of the two Paper Mills, the future of 8,000 employees, their families and indirectly employed 20,000 employees and their families are now passing sleepless nights with uncertainty in their future,” said Bora in the Parliament.

The employees of the two Paper Mills have not been paid their salaries for last 3 years. The Government has not even taken any alternative arrangement for absorption of these employees. Meanwhile eight employees committed suicide out of frustration failing to maintain their families, Bora informed the House.

“It is unfortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly assured the people of Assam on a number of occasions not to close down the two PSUs rather Government promised to revive it with special package. But that has also been not done for the last three years,” Bora said.

He said that these two PSUs in fact is the heart of Assam, as the entire people of Assam emotionally attached with these 2 Paper Mills.

“But surprisingly the Industry Minister in the Lok Sabha had in a reply recently said that during 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 Rs 4,141 crores fund was given to these Paper Mills. If it is so, I demand CBI enquiry to inquire where these huge amount of money have gone? If it is so why the two Paper Mills are lying closed why its thousands of employees fighting starvation?” he asked.

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