Rajya Sabha: Ripun Bora demands CBI enquiry into ₹ 4141 crores investment in HPC paper mills in Assam

July 31: The Heavy Industry Minister in the Lok Sabha on 9 July, 2019 said that during 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 funds of Rs 4,141 crores have been given to the Jagiroad Paper Mill and Panchgram Paper Mill. But unfortunately this huge amount of money is untraceable. It is in this regard that Congress MP Ripun Bora demanded in the floor of Rajya Sabha that a CBI enquiry should be done to trace where this huge amount was siphoned off and by whom.

Congress MP from Assam Ripun Bora raised the issue of the state’s two paper mills under Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited during the ‘Zero Hour Notice’ in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. He said that both the two paper mills were running successfully and also earned profits but on the pretext of incurring loss, these two ventures were shut down by the central government.

Addressing the Speaker on the Chair, Bora said that the decision of the government to shut down the mills have rendered nearly 8,000 direct employees and over 20,000 indirect employees jobless. They and their dependents since then are leading their lives in abject poverty. He apprised the house that more than two years have elapsed but the employees have not received a single penny.

He further said that since the closure of these mills, 57 workers died including three who committed suicides under various compelling circumstances due to nonpayment of salary since last 31 months. Bora further said , “It is unfortunate that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s numerous public assurances of reviving the mills with special packages, nothing has been done so far.”

On this basis, Ripun Bora lodged the demand of revival of these two paper mills in Assam immediately by giving special package. He further demanded that a parliamentary team be sent to visit and take stock of the two paper mills and the plight of the employees.