Reopen Ashok Paper Mill, demands AASU

More than 3 decades after Assam Accord signing, Delhi-Dispur yet to revive mill closed down in 1983

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER  
Guwahati, July 15: After 34 years of closure of Ashok Paper Mill and 32 years after inking of historic Assam Accord which promised to reopen the same, representatives of Assam government and AASU on Saturday sat together to sort out how to revive the industrial unit in near future.
The paper mill was set up in October 1970 on 2,000 plus bighas of land at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district with an expenditure of Rs 31 crore. With a workforce of 1,700, it had the capacity to produce 100 tonnes of pulp and 90 tonnes of paper daily. But in 1983 it was shut down due to alleged wrong policies of the State and Central governments. One of the provisions of the Assam Accord signed between the Centre, Assam government and the AASU-AAGSP in 1985 was reopening of the paper mill to boost industrialization and employment generation in the State. But this provision remained on paper. 
On Saturday, the AASU delegation led by the student union’s chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya in the meeting with Assam government expressed serious concern and resentment over inordite delays caused by the erstwhile governments in New Delhi and Dispur in reopening Ashok Paper Mill. The AASU leaders also reminded that Prime Minister rendra Modi before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and Assam Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal during the Assembly election campaign in 2016 had made tall promises to reopen the mill. 
Making it clear that no more delays will be acceptable, the AASU leaders during the meeting demanded a time-bound action plan to reopen Ashok Paper Mill. The students’ organization alleged that some portion of 2,215 bighas of land of the mill has now been encroached upon and demanded that the State government carry out an eviction drive there. 
Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia representing Assam government in Saturday’s meeting assured the AASU delegation that positive steps will be taken at the earliest towards reopening of the mill. Pipersenia entrusted Additiol Chief Secretary (Industries & Commerce) Ravi Capoor to exclusively look into the issue and present status report of the mill at the earliest. He also assured another round of meeting with the AASU on the same issue at the earliest. Principal Secretary of Home & Political department LS Changsan was also present in the meeting. 
AASU president Dipanka Kumar th, president of Bongaigaon district AASU unit Parthajit Rai, AASU literary secretary Anjan Kalita and MD of Ashok Paper Mill Rajendra Prasad Das were also present in the meeting.