Assam: Another employee of Cachar Paper Mill passes away

Silchar, Nov 1: Another paper mill employee of Cachar Paper Mill, a closed industry under the Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC), passed away on Monday around 11:30 pm.

The deceased identified as Tushar Kanti Mishra, a resident of Chengkuri area in Silchar, passed away following a cardiac arrest. He was 59.

Manabendra Chakraborty, president of the Joint Action Committee of Recognized Unions (JACRU) informed on Tuesday that the death toll of HPC Mill staff has risen to 116 now including four instances of committed suicides.

Chakraborty said, “Last year, the Mill was taken over the State Government led by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma with a relief package to save lives but it is pertinent to note that the irreparable damages already caused earlier, now resulting deaths one after another, thus the responsibilities of all such deaths lies with the Government of India and the former Chief Ministers respectively who have bitterly failed to resolve the crisis on time.”

“The workers of the two paper mills, those of whom are alive, are passing days with unbearable suffering, stress, trauma and lost all hope to live life with human dignity as the Government of India is yet to remit our salaries lying pending since the last 82 months now. We once again echo our demand that the Central Government must remit the complete dues at the earliest,” the JACRU president claimed.