Assam: AHRC Seeks Report on Paper Mills

The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) sought a report on the status of Cachar Paper Mill and Nagaon Paper Mill and Assam Polyester Co-Operative Society Limited (APOL) from the Government of Assam.

Both Cachar and Nagaon Paper Mills are non-functional and theworkers have not received their salaries for more than two years and many evenhave to sacrifice their lives as they have no other option left to feed theirfamilies.

A single bench of the AHRC has directed the commissioner andsecretary, department of industries and commerce to submit the report withinone month while taking up the petition of the Save Industry Save Workers JointStruggle Committee.

The organization, in its petition, had mentioned that the production in Nagaon Paper Mill and Panchgram Paper Mill, Cachar has been stopped although both the mills were reportedly profit-making entities at the time of their closure.

It has also been mentioned in the petition that employees of both the mills have been deprived of their salaries and other benefits since March 2017 as a result of which three employees committed suicide and 53 died without any proper treatment for which the organizations seek the intervention of AHRC into the matter.

Meanwhile, APOL near Rangiya also remains non-functional sinceDecember 2016 and the employees have not received their dues and salaries sincethen.

The petition also stated that one employee committed suicide andfive others died due to lack of proper treatment for want of money.