87th employee of paper mill dies without salary & dues since last 53 months

May 29: The word ‘death’ is sending a chill of horror in the corridors of the now defunct Nagaon and Panchgram Paper Mills. On one hand, when the procession of deaths due to COVID-19 is going on unabated, on the other, being deprived of salary since last 53 months, employees of the two HPC Paper Mills are embracing death one after another. The employees of the now defunct paper mills are moving ahead towards the valley of death.

On Friday, another employee of now defunct Panchgram Paper Mill breathed his last. The deceased employee Siraj Uddin Mazumder retired from services without receiving a single penny as retirement dues. He died on 27 May, 2021 at 10.30 PM. He was suffering from Hypertension & Paralysis followed by Cerebral Stroke . He failed to afford the desired treatment due to non-payment of salary since last 53 and even retirement dues. He was 61. “Without money, we were unable to afford good treatment of Siraj Uddin Mazumder, who ultimately breathed his last due to the apathy of the government,” said one of his relative. It needs mention here that another employee Chandra Kanta Kalita retired from services without receiving a single penny as retirement dues. He died on 22 May, 2021 at 1.30 PM.

Manabendra Chakraborty, trade union leader of the mill said, “This is the 2nd death since the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government was formed in Assam. These are not general deaths. Siraj Uddin Mazumder joined the long procession of deaths of our employees without getting any proper treatment. How can you afford treatment when you are not paid your salaries since last 53 months and also they are deprived of retirement dues? How many deaths will wake up the govt from their deep slumber?”  With this, the death toll at HPC Paper Mill has now reached 87 including 4 suicides.

Cachar Paper Mill and Nagaon Paper Mill run by Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) have been non-functional since 20 October 2015 and 13 March 2017 respectively. The employees of the two mills have not received salaries for the past 53 months.