Rs. 700 crore Relief Package for Hindustan Paper Corporation Employees: Assam Cabinet

Sept. 30: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday informed that the state government will resolve pending salaries issue of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) employees. Following this, the issue was discussed in the Cabinet Meeting held on 30 September in which decision was taken to sanction an amount of Rs. 700-crore Relief Package for Hindustan Paper Corporation Employees.

• Govt to provide a relief package to all 1,100 employees of now-defunct Cachar and Nagaon paper mills of Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPC).
• Quantum of relief package will be assessed based on PF, Gratuity, pension, salaries and other dues as claimed and admitted before liquidator.
• The relief will also be provided to school teachers, contractual co-operative workers of HPC.
• Govt of Assam will facilitate workers/ employees, who have not completed their service in getting jobs in the new industries to be established in HPC land, in future.
• Govt jobs will be provided to the youngest 100 employees/ workers of HPC.
• Doctors, paramedical staff of HPC will also be accommodated in Govt jobs.
• A fund of Rs 10 crore to be set up for welfare of HPC workers. Govt. of Assam will approach NCLT through official liquidator for taking over the assets of HPC Ltd. after exercising due diligence.

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 57 months. After that much water have flown through Barak and Brahmaputra, but the issue of revival of the 2 paper mills at Cachar & Nagaon and/or disbursement of salary and other dues remained unsolved. Finally, though the chances of revival of the two paper mills were over, but atleast the employees would now get their long pending dues.

Also Read: Agreement reached between CM & 2 paper mill employees; relief package of around ₹570 cr assured