MP Queen Oja claims 100 crore released for PF dues of HPC employees; CBI enquiry demanded

Sept. 13: The fate of the two defunct HPC paper mills of Assam (Nagaon & Panchgram) is supposed to be decided at National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on 14 September, 2020. It is in this backdrop that the Industry and Commerce department of government of Assam wrote to Kuldeep Verma, Liquidator of HPCL seeking one month time for revival of the defunct HPC paper mills as the “state government is making sincere efforts and pursuing the matter with the central government for revival of the closed mills and clearance of all dues of employees and workers”.

It is in this context that BJP MP from Guwahati Queen Oja in a press release issued by her on 13 September, 2020 showered lofty praises on the state government for approaching the liquidator for extending NCLT hearing on this matter by one month. She further mentioned that Assam Government has also released Rs 100 crore towards Provident Fund dues of the employees of now defunct Nagaon & Cachar Paper Mill. Alleging this to be a misnomer, Manobendra Chakraborty, President, JACRU, Nagaon & Cachar Paper Mill, Assam & President, CPPWU (INTUC) HPC, Assam launched a scathing attack.

Manobendra Chakraborty lauded the stand of Assam Government who have sought one months time from NCLT for resolving the crisis of the 2 HPC Mills in Assam. He was, however, quick to add, “We hope that the assurance given by the state government won’t be broken as they have done in the past.” Saying so, he referred to the press release issued by MP Queen Oja from Assam and termed the version contained in it to be ‘confusing’ and ‘far away from facts.’

Mr. Chakraborty said, “We are at a loss to understand the statement issued by MP Queen Oja, wherein she has mentioned that Assam Government has released Rs.100 crore from the Provident Fund of the paper mill employees. This is indeed a very strange statement. When around 70 employees of the 2 paper mills at Nagaon and Panchgram have lost their lives staying in utmost poverty being deprived of their salary from the last 45 months, such a proposition seems out of the context. Moreover, no money has been deposited in our Provident Fund account since February 2015. We have filed a case in this regard in Delhi High Court. It is then that the court ordered to release a part of our Provident Fund deposited by us before February 2015 so that the employees can atleast sustain their lives at this hour of severe financial crisis.”

“The statement issued by MP Queen Oja as regards release of Rs.100 crore from our PF is absolutely false, baseless and misleading because neither the Assam govt nor the Union govt has released any such amount to the tune of Rs.100 crore towards the Provident Fund dues of the employees of the two paper mills under HPC. But if this amount is really withdrawn from the public exchequer, then I am sure that this huge amount has also vanished in the same manner as Rs.4441 crore earlier became untraceable. Today, we have sent an email to MP Queen Oja, where we have categorically stated that she need to give a clarification as when and where this amount of Rs.100 crore was deposited,” added Mr. Chakraborty.

The trade union leader Manobendra Chakraborty further said, “If MP Queen Oja fails to give any satisfactory clarification to the whereabouts of Rs.100 crore as stated by her, then we immediately demand a CBI enquiry into the whole matter. This is because earlier in the Parliament, Union Minister of Heavy Industries in a written reply stated that Rs.4441 crore has been sanctioned for the Nagaon & Panchgram paper mills. However, till now, nobody knows where that money has gone. In a similar manner, Rs.100 crore from our Provident Fund also have gone missing, if the BJP MP’s words are to be believed. We categorically state that no such money has been paid to workers as PF dues.”

In a tone of regret, Mr. Chakraborty said, “How can we allow anyone to play with the public money in this way. Many have died without any proper treatment. Today, we don’t have money to send our children to schools and colleges. On one hand, employees are passing their lives in abject poverty and on the other hand huge amount of public money will get vanished in the thin air is an unacceptable proposition. We are deprived of our salary since last 45 months. We are dying one by one being unable to manage two square meals a day. When such is the situation, how can one even think of playing dirty politics with the lives and livelihood of so many bonafide employees? In strong words we condemn such games being played with us. We do hope that a proper investigation into this matter will be done and the truth will soon be revealed before the people.”

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.

Also Read: Assam govt writes to the Liquidator; seeks 1 month time for revival of defunct HPC paper mills