No salary since 45 months; another employee of Panchgram Paper Mill dies

Sept. 9: The word ‘death’ is now sending a chill of horror throughout Barak Valley. 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 45 months, employees of the now defunct HPC Paper Mill are dying one after another.

On 9 September, Chanak Das (59), another employee of HPC Panchgram breathed his last at around 3 AM. He lived at Panchgram. Expressing anguish & grief, his family members told that living without salary for such a long period has made their lives miserable. Without money, they were unable to afford any treatment of Chanak Das, who ultimately breathed his last due to the ‘apathy of the government on Wednesday morning.’

On 23 August, Gautam Sarkar (58), who worked as a chemist at HPC Panchgram breathed his last at his ancestral home at Dumdum in Kolkata. Just 4 days later, on 27 August, another employee of the same paper mill, Radhanath Roy Choudhury (57) also died in Kolkata after suffering for some days.

Manabendra Chakraborty, trade union leader of the mill said, “These are not general deaths. Both of them have 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 44 months? How many deaths will wake up the government from their deep slumber?” With this, the death toll at HPC Paper Mill has now gone upto 70 including 3 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 45 and 43 months respectively.