Central govt trying to sell off HPC Paper Mills, accuses HPC Revival Committee

January 23: When the state was reeling under the heat of protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the central government was trying to sell off both the HPC mills in Assam (Nagaon & Panchgram). The government probably thought that the people would be busy debating the Citizenship Bill and so decided to sell the two mills to private players keeping the people at dark. This was alleged by the HPC Paper Mills Revival Action Committee in a press release issued by them.

Manabendra Chakraborty, Chief Convener of HPC Paper Mill Revival Action Committee said that on 24 November, 2018, a tender was floated to sell off both these mills as well as other assets and that too at a throw away price of only Rs. 750 crore. He expressed surprise as to how can the government decide to sell the mills just for this tiny amount when the real value of the mills will be some few thousand crores of Rupees. He raised a strong demand that government should spell out the identity of the person(s) whom the government want to do this favour. He said that a business tycoon from Gujarat has shown keen interest in buying these mills. Mr. Chakraborty alleged that the ‘rich businessman is close to PM Modi.’

Manabendra Chakraborty also mentioned that they have received repeated assurances from both the central and the state government regarding reviving the two paper mills, but nothing as materialized as yet.  Over and above, instead of keeping their words, the government is making clandestine arrangements to sell the mills to private players.

Sanjiv Roy and Baharul Islam Barbhuiya, the two convenors of the Action Committee also raised their voice and said that they will not allow selling off these mills to private parties. They added that if till 31 January, no positive steps for revival of the mills are undertaken by the government, then they will be left with no other option but to launch an agitation of a large magnitude. They also appealed to the people at large of the state to come forward and defeat the nefarious design of the present political dispensation.